Ban may hit hookah cafes

CHICAGO, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A planned ban on smoking in restaurants and bars in Chicago would hit hookah cafes that cater to the Middle Eastern custom of smoking the water pipe.

One patron said a ban would deal a severe blow to the estimated 20 lounges and restaurants that offer hookahs in the city, reports The Chicago Tribune.

"If they ban it, it'll kill the business," said the patron who has been smoking hookahs for about three years.

The City Council is moving toward a total smoking ban for all bars and restaurants in Chicago, the report said. Hookah lounges are favorites among North African and Middle Eastern immigrants in the city.

The water pipes use hot coals to heat moistened, flavored tobaccos, generating smoke. The Chicago City Council's Health Committee approved the smoking ban Oct. 28, but it has not been brought up for a vote by the entire council, the report said.