As Ottawa struggles to smoke out underground shisha bars, owners plead for understanding
Shisha lounges continue to draw patrons despite the city's ongoing efforts to shut them down. The people who run them say it's an integral cultural practice. Bylaw says it's illegal.
![As Ottawa struggles to smoke out underground shisha bars, owners plead for understanding](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7172937.1713217307!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/smoking-shisha-inside-an-illegal-shisha-lounge.jpg)
![Fadi Lteif says smoking shisha brings his community together. A man sitting on a couch smokes shish through a water pipe.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7172937.1713217307!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/smoking-shisha-inside-an-illegal-shisha-lounge.jpg)
Shisha lounges continue to draw patrons despite the city's ongoing efforts to shut them down. The people who run them say it's an integral cultural practice. Bylaw says it's illegal.