Lawndale panel wants to snuff out hookah lounges
All developer Michael Hanna wanted to do was to open a restaurant in Lawndale with an outdoor hookah lounge. But what he viewed as an ancient social custom across the Middle East -- where smoking tobacco through water pipes is popular in cafes and other gathering spots -- the planning commission of this South Bay suburb considered an unhealthy habit. Not only did the commissioners reject Hanna's proposal, they are also considering a proposal that would prevent the lounges from opening anywhere in the city, reports the Daily Breeze.
Hanna says the commissioners, who initially didn't know what a hookah was, are being culturally insensitive. Hookah lounges have popped up across Southern California -- Hanna already operates one in nearby Redondo Beach -- and have attracted many young patrons.
"All they see is the smoke element," Hanna said. "They don't see the socializing, the cultural expression.... If the city were to go out and ban coffee because -- all of a sudden -- it thinks it's a health issue, that would upset a lot of people because Starbucks has become part of the culture in America."
The growing popularity of the lounges and the cultural significance of the hookah did not impress planning commissioners. They were concerned about lung cancer and other diseases related to tobacco use. Even though the smoke is filtered through water, the use of a hookah still poses health risks that have generated warnings from groups like the American Lung Assn. Lawndale Planning Commissioner Nancy Marthens said hookah lounges will only encourage smoking:
"My stepdad died of lung cancer, and we have a member of the commission who is now battling lung cancer. So it's very hard to say we're going to aid and abet the tobacco industry."
A vote on the ban is scheduled for next month but there's little reason to expect the commissioners to vote against the ban. They are the ones who requested it.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Patrons at a Long Beach hookah lounge. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times
