North Carolina’s recently approved law banning smoking in bars and restaurants will likely kill hookah bars like Asheville’s Hookah Joe’s. Story from the Raleigh News & Observer:
A farewell to hookahs
The ban will likely require about 20 hookah bars across the state to close, said Adam Bliss, owner of Hookah Bliss in Chapel Hill.
Customers can buy beer or a soda and then smoke flavored tobacco through a hookah, or water pipe. Bliss said he unsuccessfully lobbied for an exclusion for his business.
“It’s just like a cigar bar. You come in expecting to smoke,” Bliss said. “I’m probably going to end up having to close my business and figure out how to repay my loans and investors now.”
Bliss said his business generates $100,000 a year in revenue and $10,000 in taxes. He has six employees.
13 Comments
As much as I appreciate everyone’s time and signatures, unfortunately, a judge would have laughed at the names that I was getting from the previous site.
In order in increase accuracy and credibility of the signatures, I have moved this petition to:
http://www.gopetition.com/online/33301.html
I apologize for any inconvenience, but feel the additional signature field requirements will increase our likelihood of being heard by the court of appeals.
Thank you for your support!
I am all about respecting and protecting the rights of the non-smoking community, but I believe it should be up to the owner to make these decisions. If you’d like to hear more about my view, please read my petition @ http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/ownerschoice/
If you agree, I would appreciate your signature.
Thank you!
shoot why don’t we just go ahead and become freakin communist does anyone realize the law makers are taking away our rights and civil liberties all a little bit at a time. what ever happened to the persuit of liberty and happiness. It was predicted in the 60’s that the U S would become communist without one shot being fired. Wake up America if we keep letting them impose laws on us and taking away our rights it will be too late to have our country. what about a government by the people and for the people. Do you realize that it is up to us to change the government when it quits working for us. I challenge everyone to read the constitution and the bill of rights and do something about it. I am a smoker and I am a considerate smoker. What about businesses that have gone to great expense to have filtration systems installed to accomodate non smokers or outdoor smoking areas. Why can’t we have a reasonable compromise. I am so sad at the extremes taken to stop one group and forget the rest .I don’t like what we are becoming. Tolerance ! did we forget that we are a tolerant nation of many things ? I thought that was why we were a free nation
I disagree that the ban is "unconstitutional", but whether or not a privately-owned business is allowed to be smoked in is definitely not the government’s decision.
Shana – Yes, it may get annoying for you to always be inhaling secondhand smoke, but if companies thought they would receive more business from people like you if they changed their smoking policies, and if it would be beneficial to the business itself, then they would adjust accordingly. The fact that the government is trying to protect people from themselves disgusts me, and the fact that the government is trying to tell people how to run their own businesses – businesses in which people have invested their own money to run and be successful – is just outrageous. If an entrepreneur is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to invest in starting his/her own business, that person should be the one running his/her company – NOT the government, which still benefits from tax money either way.
I can see the point of the ban being unconstitutional, but I am not sure how the non smoker will ever get respect without it. Sure I can never go upstairs at Barley’s and also never play pool in public in this town on a full size pool table. Until the past few years there were no non smoking places to go in Asheville. It’s very frustrating for a non smoker. Even in restaurants with a non smoking section you are still forced to inhale second hand smoke. We have gone through forever tolerating the smoke. Waiting in line at a concert or show inhaling smoke, eating inhaling smoke, walking into a hospital (and if you didn’t hold your breath on the way in) inhaling smoke. So yes on many levels I totally agree that it is unconstitutional, but what will it take to give the non smoker respect? And yes once again I suppose the non smoker could just not go out to eat, play pool, try to get into the hospital a different way (past I know), not go dancing, never see a show or a concert, etc etc. Thankfully in Asheville the past few years establishments have went non smoking on their own, but that has just been in the last few years and many still are not. The whole thing is frustrating. At my house guests are allowed to smoke on the porch(I live with a smoker, thus more dilemma). It becomes a social event that I may sometimes partially engage in ( they gather toward one end and the doorway and other end are free). But when it is cold they have to smoke in the cold, but I haven’t had any complaints yet. Any solutions other than the smoking ban?
These new smoking laws are basically unconstitutional. I’m sorry, but that’s not really up for debate. So for everyone who is gleeful about the new law, consider the principles you’re rooting against.
I am not a smoker and I have no desire to inhale second hand smoke in a crowded bar, but you know what I do have? I have a choice. A choice to go to Broadways or Jack of the Wood. A choice to remain downstairs at Barley’s, or walk upstairs.
This is a shameful intrusion of government into private enterprise, and the people who wrote our constitution would be aghast. It’s unbelievable that Hookah Joe’s would be shut down over this.
If his revenue is $100,000 and he has six employees, he should be thinking about other ways to pay back his loans and investors anyway.
In order to use the exemption of "private club" Hookah Joe’s would need to be a non-profit organziation or not pay taxes. In other words, they would not be able to make a profit. I don’t think this is the path Joe’s will take. I’m sorry if someone’s business is closed, but I’m happy for the law. It is a long-time coming to protect workers and patrons to restaurants and bars.
They should just remain in business and see what happens …. who would go into a Hookah Bar and then complain about the smoke? Probably, no one. Therefore the "smoke nazis" will never show up because the new laws are "complaint driven", meaning that only if someone complains about it and nothing is done then the police (I guess) will be called….. plus, the fine(s) are for the individual who is smoking; unless the establishment get repeated complaints regarding non-compliance.
Can’t they just go "private"? I read there’s an exemption for private clubs. It seems like the sort of place that has a more or less regular patronage, so requiring memberships shouldn’t be a problem. And usually there’s some loophole private clubs can use to deal with "guests" and other non-member drop-ins.
what in the crap. i’ll be mad.
How about an outdoor or mobile hookah business? In Egypt, many hookahs are smoked in outdoor cafes.
Isn’t Hookah Joe’s technically a membership club and therefore excluded from the ban?