Hookah lounges wait and see

BY SARAH N. LYNCH GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

MORRISTOWN — Patrons who wish to smoke cigarettes or cigars at Caf Arabica on Speedwell Avenue are kindly asked to step outside.

Even the menu strictly states that cigarettes are prohibited indoors.

And yet, the new state-wide smoking ban that will take effect mid-April may hurt places like Caf Arabica more than your average restaurant.

The reason? Caf Arabica is just one of several hookah bars in the state, and unlike cigar bars, hookahs are not exempt from the law.

In fact, the law does not even mention hookahs.

"They really weren't interested in hearing my concerns at all,'' said Hamdi Rifai, a co-owner of the caf and a lawyer representing them on the matter.

"They wanted this legislation at any expense and they don't care. They are putting honest people out of business without considering those viewpoints,'' he said, noting that he could not even get anyone on the phone at the Governor's Office to discuss adding hookahs to the bill.

And just what is a hookah?

It entails smoking a small amount of flavored tobacco through a water pipe. The tradition originated in Turkey and it is extremely popular in the Middle East, Rifai said.

The popularity of hookah smoking has been on the rise in the U.S.

Hookahs give off a fruity scent that is much milder than cigars or cigarettes. They come in all kinds of flavors: apple, strawberry, kiwi, cantaloupe and vanilla, to name a few.

As the law is currently written, chances are that hookah bars will be included in the smoking ban because it does entail smoking tobacco in a designated indoor public space.

A representative from the Governor's Office deferred all questions about hookahs to the State Senate and State Assembly. Kevin Rowe, a spokesman for Legislative Services, said he'd never heard of hookahs. Since the bill has already passed, he deferred all questions on the potential inclusion of hookah bars to legislators.

And one such legislator did in fact bring up hookahs on the Assembly floor Monday, but the suggestion of such a thing generated "giggles'' from the other politicians, said Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll, R-Morris Twp, who voted against the smoking ban.

"Most people thought people are smoking marijuana out of (the hookah),'' Carroll said. He said he understands why lawmakers voted in favor of this bill because it "safeguards us from our own stupidity,'' but he thinks it will hurt small businesses. Businesses such as hookah bars that serve a specialized kind of tobacco will be particularly hard-hit, he noted.

Although lawmakers could feasibly come up with an amendment to the bill to include hookah bars, Carroll said he doubts it will happen.

"We'll push for it,'' he said. "It would be the least they could do to make an exemption for these very specific entities, but again, it strikes me that if you're an advocate of this particular ban, then drafting an exemption for one particular form of tobacco smoking probably is not high on your agenda.''

In some areas, such as Columbus, Ohio and parts of California, hookah bars are exempt from smoking bans along with cigar lounges.

If the state does not exempt hookahs from this newly passed bill, Rifai said it will hurt business. Roughly 50 percent of Caf Arabica's revenue is generated from hookah sales, he said.

"Cigar bars have been on the decline in numbers and hookahs are a fast-growing concept in the U.S. right now,'' Rifai said. "So here you have a situation where the thing that is growing (legislators) completely ignored and the thing that's declined they have created an exemption for. It's typical of how things are done in government.''

Adel Hablawi, the manager of the Morristown hookah bar, said that if the bill is not amended to include hookahs, the restaurant may have to add more entertainment to close the gap in business.

Many New Jersey restaurants also serve hookahs in towns such as Montclair, Ridgefield Park, Jersey City, North Bergen and Long Branch.

There was only one reason Hablawi could think of to explain why hookahs were completely left out of the bill.

"(Politicians) probably never tried it,'' he said. And he grinned.

Sarah N. Lynch can be reached at (973) 428-6633 or slynchgannett.com.

USA Today contributed to this report.