S.F. moving rapidly to smoke out hookah

[The Straight Story]

S.F. moving rapidly to smoke out hookah

For hookah lounges in San Francisco, the end is very, very near.

As we reported this week, the city's Public Health Department has been working to shut down an estimated 17 hookah lounges for allegedly violating city and state bans on indoor smoking. This week, a handful of business owners appeared at department hearings to learn what will happen to them.

Dream Hookah Lounge, at 1210 Polk St., received orders to become hookah-less. By the end of business today, the owner must get rid of "all tobacco and tobacco products and discontinue smoking through tobacco pipes," said Janine Young, senior environmental health inspector for the department.

...

"Of course I'm going to sue," he said.

The owners of Marrakech Moroccan Restaurant and Kan Zaman are scheduled to appear at health department hearings next week.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/14/MNMK1KA89D.DTL#ixzz1SBOegIps

[Aerows]

1. I understand banning smoking in general

But banning smoking in a place with the specific purpose of smoking? If you don't smoke, don't go there.

[NYC_SKP]

4. If only it was that simple.

This is California (and the problem is spreading).

It doesn't have to make sense to become a law.

The campaign against smoking and against smokers jumped the shark a LONG time ago.

Bars that wanted to have smoking areas tried and tried, even tried to become private clubs, and failed in the courts.

Now it's illegal, for example, to smoke ANYWHERE within Golden Gate Park in SF.

:shrug:

[Erose999]

8. Our local gov't passed an exemption for the cigar shops and hookah lounges.

[Dappleganger]

2. As a non-smoker, I find this disturbing.

Our corner of FL happens to have quite a few hookah lounges and IMO they should be able to conduct their business w/out hassle as long as they have the proper licensing.

[RKP5637]

6. +1000 +++ n/t

[PoliticAverse]

3. Sure, drive the hookahs back to the street... n/t

[HopeHoops]

5. I can see not granting new licenses, but these businesses should be grandfathered.

[d_r]

7. is tobacco legal?

[SpiralHawk]

9. When hookahs are outlawed, only outlaws will have hookahs

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PuZoLkvmBbc/SdpwUCveWZI/AAAAAAAADNU/2F-d4CQ8LYg/s320/Hookah-Smoking+Caterpillar.jpg

[fascisthunter]

10. you know what... fuck them

get a fucking grip already. And no, I quit smoking years ago, at least tobacco...