Another State Trying To Ban Public Smoking

[lazria]

I live in the great (LOL) Commonwealth of Virginia and recently found out that our lovely Gov'or is attempting to pass some bills that will basically render public smoking illegal. VA has some strange laws regarding things, like bars and alcohol. You can't sell hard liquor without selling food, so thus you are a restaurant & BAR, not just bar. Well, if they pass this law(s) you will be unable to smoke in restaurants or BARS.

A little alarming, but it really hit home as I again, tried to locate a Hookah Bar in town(s). Found a second place listed on Hookah-Bars.com... only to visit their homepage and see a warning - "Effective May 1st, XXX's Bistro will be smoke-free! A small designated outdoor area will be available for smoking." Even if they have an area, I don't think this place is a "hookah friendly location" anymore.

Although I wasn't overly happy with the one Hookah bar I know of (within a 50 miles radius), I fear that if that law is passed, they may close down the bar. It may also make it harder to purchase "tobacco related" items, IE: Hookah shisha, if this laws goes thru. I kind of now understand why another "smoking friendly" cafe closed down shop and I have yet to hear of a new location - if they knew this law was coming, it would kill their business.

Not overly fair in my opinion, but as if I matter. I understand WHY places want to be Smoke-Free; if I want to eat without smoke, I understand and respect that. I "technically" don't smoke, I don't like people blowing smoke @ me while I dine, but now they are infringing on my rights to enjoy myself in public as well.

I fear the day that you won't be able to smoke anywhere public, not even inside your own car on the "public" roads, because of air-pollution, littering (stop throwing butts out the window) and so on. *sigh* Grr... it never fails, just as I start a new hobby/past-time, it becomes illegal or frowned upon.

I know other states, counties have similar smoking bans already in place - is it hard there as well? Are smokers, even Hookah smokers, gonna become a dying breed?

(edited for spelling) Edited April 26, 2007 by lazria

[VDDZ]

here in Cali, we've had such laws for a wile. This causes hookah bars to become crafty; the law states that the establishment can not serve food and allow smoking indoors at the same time, so after a certain time, the resteraunt portion closes and it becomes a dedicated hookah bar, fit for indoor smoking; drinks are kosher.

[frontmanpb101]

technically anyone that smokes is a dying breed

sorry to hear that it's going to be banned where you live though

[lazria]

Yeah, it sucks, but it's not like I can do anything about it. When I told my BF he went nuts! He doesn't understand why they can ban smoking. I tried to explain it to him that it's sorta like how you can drink at your house, but your not allowed to bring open alcholic drinks outside.

And trust me, with the start of the nice weather, I would nothing more than to go sit outside at evening and smoke, relax and just chill. If I owned my own house and wasn't an apt dwellers, I could. The BF looked at me and said to just go outside. I laughed - if I were to take a hookah outside in my end of the world, the Cops would be there in 5 min flat asking me WHAT THE HELL is that!

And the building's other tentants would raise sucha freaking ruckus as well, if not alert the LandLord.... who knows what it is, but still - never step on the toes of anyone who can kick you out of your apt, ya know!

One day, one day I might try... but maybe only my way out of said building. Oh well, for now I'll have to enjoy it in the comfort of my living room, with the windows open so I can atleast feel the nice seabreeze. *sigh*

[cymptom]

In attempt to exempt hookah from the public smoking bans that are popping up everywhere, has anyone made the argument that smoking hookah is not technically "smoking," but rather a vaporization of glycerine, nicotine and flavorings? If I'm not mistaken, public smoking bans are getting passed largely because people perceive second-hand smoke as a health risk -- I don't know that second hand smoke from hookah tobacco really puts any significant amount of toxins in the air. There's a little bit of coal burning, but that's about it.

If the coal is indeed the issue, I'm almost glad because that means it's time for someone to finally figure out a better way of vaporizing glycerin and flavor.

[azcoyote]

We may see the evolution of a new type of establishment that is not "public" per se but "members only". That would be a way around a "public" smoking ban. The elks lodge and VFW posts seem to be exempt from a LOT of regulations as fraternal organizations. For that matter, it's how swingers clubs get over too.

.. Let's see. Fraternal Order of the Nargile...Give me the hookah handshake bros!

[djbomberto]

ya join the club, one county in florida banned all pipes, water pipes, and HOOKAHS!!! and there really pushing it here in florida. so no telling what the futher holds for us;

[cemab4y]

I am a resident of Lorton VA (Fairfax county). I am currently in Iraq. It is my hope that I can indulge my hookah pastime, when I return to the USA. I also am considering opening a hookah lounge in my retirement years. I hope that the ability to smoke hookah in a private lounge has not been legislated away by then!

[Key]

These smoking bans are pathetic. I am all for being considerate of others feelings/attitudes about smoking, but I am tired of people who have the "WANT" to regulate everything in this country. Second-hand smoke might not even be as bad as some say, but that depends on who's study you are looking up/who you are asking.

Washington State's Ban on Smoking

In 2005 they passed it. Though the 25 foot rule is a bit ridiculous some people bide by the ruling. Some others do not. It is more of a non-binding issue still, but it did clean up smoking in restaurants/bars etc. Sucks...I live in Seattle btw.

I was really worried about hookah bars too because I just had turned 19 about a month after this was passed. Thankfully they got around the law or they eased on hookah bars and such because they are still up and running with full capacity. Though one did just get closed down recently (I believe for either not checking everyone at the door for their I.D. or something else along the illegal lines, but nothing to do with the smoking ban I do not believe). I think they first started out as "private clubs", which required you to be 18 and they just left the doors open depending on which hookah bar you visit. Now the whole option of keeping the doors closed is up to the owner, but they do have ventilation in one of the main hookah bars I use to visit. This really deters from the old feeling of the building because now you are constantly body checked from all sides by their air conditioning (really destroys the atmosphere of your crowd/really tough to blow a smoke ring).

This is just my two cents though . Edited May 1, 2007 by Key

[speel]

How gay. I can personally tell you these smoking bans are useless. Here in Nyc you cannot smoke in any public area ( resturants,bars, etc ) .. actually now not even in your car. What i feel they should do is just keep shit separated smoking and non smoking .. is it that hard?

[azcoyote]

Arizona's smoking ban for public places went into effect at 12:01 today.

[lazria]

Arizona's smoking ban for public places went into effect at 12:01 today.

Man, that sucks monkey ....

Smokers.... going the way of the Do Do...

[rootdown]

last year in Hawaii they passed a law that bans public smoking , i think its great.

i shouldnt have to smell that gross cigarette smell if i dont want to.

i rarely smell cigarettes now, but when i do it smells worse now; i guess im not desensitized to it anymore.

p.s. my mom was a smoker for 35 years and she died of lung cancer last year

[lazria]

last year in Hawaii they passed a law that bans public smoking , i think its great.

i shouldnt have to smell that gross cigarette smell if i dont want to.

i rarely smell cigarettes now, but when i do it smells worse now; i guess im not desensitized to it anymore.

p.s. my mom was a smoker for 35 years and she died of lung cancer last year

2 members of my family have also went the same way - I am not normally a ciggy smoker, but I enjoy my cloves on occuasion and my hookah. In fact I harp on my BF that he reeks of smoke smell at times.

but just in the same breath you don't want to smell the smoke, what about the people who do want to smoke? They should have the right to enjoy themselves in public just as much as you do. They are paying customers, and it's theri right to do to themselves what they wish (although I do understand second hand smoke and the smell).

Think about it like this - ever been to a resterunt where someone had a young child that was causing a racket? Do they make them leave? I've even complained at one place and they still did nothing about the child and I gave up, ate and left.

The old saying, "You can't please everybody all the time" comes into affect, but I do think it's infringing upon the rights of others when they ban smoking. Limiting it, making people smoke outside or in required areas, ok... but simply BANNING it completly, not fair.

[Key]

Here are two articles of interest which I grabbed from my Economics class.

Economics and Smoking

Phony Science and Public Policy

Just an interesting excerpt from the second article:

" You say, "Okay, Williams, the science is bogus, but how do we nonsmokers cope with the nuisance of tobacco smoke?" My answer is that it all depends on whether you prefer liberty-oriented solutions to problems or those that are more tyranny-oriented.
The liberty-oriented solution has to do with private property rights, whereby the owner of property makes the decision whether he will allow smoking or not. If one is a nonsmoker, he just doesn't do business with a bar or restaurant where smoking is permitted. A smoker could exercise the same right if a bar or restaurant didn't permit smoking. Publicly owned places such as libraries, airports and municipal buildings, where ownership is ill defined, presents more of a challenge.


The tyranny-oriented solution is where one group uses the political system to forcibly impose its preferences on others. You might be tempted to object to the term "tyranny," but suppose you owned a restaurant where you did not permit smoking and smokers used the political system to create a law forcing you to permit smoking. I'm sure you'd deem it tyranny."

I'd much rather take a liberty-oriented solution over tyranny. But hey that is just me.

I have heard that New York has some pretty stringent rules about smoking. Edited May 2, 2007 by Key

[OPR234]

I'm from Washington too, my local hookah bar loopholed the indoor smoking law by setting up a "private hookah club" or something. Basically it costs 4 bucks to join the "club", and once you pay and sign your name on the list you can order your hookah (this is also how other private organizations get around it). Also they only serve hookahs after 6-7PM, there was a reason for it but I can't really remember at the moment. Also with the 25 foot rule, people pretty much don't care about it, and cops drive by the bars all the time with people smoking right next to the door and they have never done anything about it. I don't mean I havent seen it happen, I mean it hasn't happened here because the cops have better things to do, even when they're looking for someone to bust for something, and all you have to say is "I'm drunk and I forgot, my bad" and they can't really do anything. I also think the indoor smoking ban is great because I hate the smell of cigarettes and I can still hit up the local hookah bar with no problems.

[Key]

I'm from Washington too, my local hookah bar loopholed the indoor smoking law by setting up a "private hookah club" or something. Basically it costs 4 bucks to join the "club", and once you pay and sign your name on the list you can order your hookah (this is also how other private organizations get around it). Also they only serve hookahs after 6-7PM, there was a reason for it but I can't really remember at the moment. Also with the 25 foot rule, people pretty much don't care about it, and cops drive by the bars all the time with people smoking right next to the door and they have never done anything about it. I don't mean I havent seen it happen, I mean it hasn't happened here because the cops have better things to do, even when they're looking for someone to bust for something, and all you have to say is "I'm drunk and I forgot, my bad" and they can't really do anything. I also think the indoor smoking ban is great because I hate the smell of cigarettes and I can still hit up the local hookah bar with no problems.

Oh damn. Which part of Washington? Yeah I remember when some clubs went private and such. What hookah bar do you usually hit up? The one I used to go to was the Rabbit Hole in the U district and before that the one downtown in between 1st/2nd and Cherry. Edited May 2, 2007 by Key

[OPR234]

I'm out in eastern Washington in Pullman for school, but I'm going back home for the summer in a week or so over on the west side kinda around the bremerton area. The hookah bar here is called Munchy'z, its alright, its kinda of small though. Sometime over my summer break I'm planning on going to Seattle with a few friends because I heard there are some places with cheap hookah shit, and I'll have to hit up a hookah bar because I'm leaving my hookah in storage for break. A couple months ago there was a number of people on the forum from Washington, I don't really know what happened to everyone though.

On a separate note, I should have pointed out that for the hookah bar here you only need to join their formality of a club to order a hookah, you can smoke it without signing up if someone who is signed up orders it.

[Key]

Aw ok. I have still yet to visit WSU/Pullman, but I do have a bunch of friends who go there for college. Damn, well hopefully the Washingtonians come back around.

The Rabbit Hole is a really chill scene if you are looking for a place to smoke while you are in Sea-town. They also ask you to sign in (just once) and show your I.D. right afterwards. Then after that you are good to order.