The legislature's public health committee this morning passed a bill that essentially bans hookah lounges in the state.
The measure, which passed on a vote of 19 to 9, extends the state's smoking ban to hookah lounges, a big problem for establishments are centered around smoking.
Hookah-lounges are 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. In recent years, several such businesses have opened in the state while others have been shot down by local authorities.
Supporters of the ban say it is needed because hookah lounges pose a significant public health risk. They cited research linking hookah smoking to the spread of tuberculosis, to the exposure to toxic chemicals in smoke such as arsenic and lead and to an increased risk of cigarette smoking among hookah smokers.
But some Republicans on the committee said the bill will hurt small businesses. To them, the question of whether or not to visit a hookah lounge is a personal decision that the state has no business regulating.