Children as young as three months old are being exposed to smoking in the UAE as “irresponsible” parents continue to take their siblings along to sheesha  bars.

According to one prominent Lebanese restaurant in Garhoud, Dubai, where sheesha  is served, one in 10 families that visit the restaurant are accompanied by children.

“We even see parents coming in with infants, some as young as three months old,” said the Pilipino waitress, at the Mazag café in Century Village.

In another Arabic café -  Al Sidra - in Satwa, the staff said it's more common during weekends. “That’s when we see many parents coming along with children.”

But both the police and the local municipalities have expressed helplessness in taking action against parents who take children to sheesha  bars.

The UAE Federal Law clearly bars anyone below 18 years from entering cafés serving sheesha  or other places that permit smoking.

“In Dubai the law is even more stringent. We have increased the age limit to 20-years. Yet we can only create awareness among parents. No action can be initiated against them,” said Salim Mesmar, Public Health Director at the Dubai Municipality.

“The rules are very clear. Yet when they are violated there is nothing much we can do in terms of action against the parents. The only means is to create further awareness among parents,” he said.

He added that sheesha cafés that violate the guideline would be fined. “The first time we would warn them and if they ignore the warning they could be fined,” he added.

The cafés, however, said they are not the ones to tell parents not to bring their kids. “There’s nothing much we can do. We see many such families. Most of them, it appears are totally ignorant of the health hazards it can cause to the baby or the child,” said the staff at Mazag.

In some cafés, sheesha is not served outside as it could affect the pedestrians.

“That is why we allow guests to smoke inside the premises. Although it becomes a bit stuffy inside, parents continue to sit with their kids,” said the staff at Sidra.

In 2008 the Dubai Municipality banned smoking inside hotels and hotel apartments.

The previous year a similar ban was imposed on smoking inside shopping malls, restaurants, cafés and sheesha shops.