Hookah lounges are a centuries-old tradition in the Middle East, where patrons talk, drink tea and puff on hoses connected to large water pipes whose bowls are filled with flavored tobacco.
But here in the Land of Steady Habits, hookah lounges are a relatively new phenomenon, one that's been met with skepticism by some local officials. Community leaders in Tolland recently shot down a planned hookah lounge, citing concerns about public health implications of smoking.
Towns looking to quash hookah lounges could get some help from the state if a bill establishing state oversight of hookah lounges passes. The measure, which is on the public health committee's agenda tomorrow, would give the department of public health oversight over hookah lounges. It would also require the commissioner of public health to draft regulations designed to "protect the health and well-being of persons who visit, or are employed by, such lounges."
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Gayle Slossberg, a Democrat from Milford, where a businessman has waged a two year battle to open a hookah lounge.