Hookah lounges might be a thing of the past, as San Francisco commenced shutting down the bars last week. The city’s health officials claim that he bars violate both state and local laws that ban indoor smoking, says the Associated Press.
Officials ordered lounge owners to stop serving hookah, which are water pipes used for smoking flavored tobacco. Failure to comply will result in fines for the lounge owners, and even complete shut-downs.
Hookah lounge owners claim that the law is unfair for their businesses and patrons that choose to smoke while enjoying the San Francisco nightlife. Some residents have complained of smoke at the lounges, which leaves bar owners wondering why they went to their businesses in the first place.
The original ban was enacted by San Francisco officials during the 1990s, which prohibited smoking in workplaces. The Associated Press explains that the law did not specify whether hookah lounges were included, so many owners continued with their businesses.
In an effort to legally include hookah lounges in the law, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors amended the ban last year to include businesses that serve food. Most of the city’s hookah lounges serve food, so these businesses are not exempt from the law.
