Judge orders closure of Snohomish Co.'s first hookah lounge
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EVERETT, Wash. -- A Snohomish County Superior Court judge ordered the county's first and apparently only hookah lounge to cease operation and its owners to pay an $89,100 fine for violating the state's Smoking in Public Places Law.
The Hideout Hookah Lounge opened on Everett's Wetmore Avenue in early 2012, offering customers the opportunity to smoke flavored tobacco out of glass pipes filled with water.
But, the business ran afoul of the state's Smoking in Public Places Law, which bans smoking in and near public businesses.
After numerous warnings and an official order to stop allowing smoking in the business, the Snohomish Health District filed a lawsuit against the Hideout Hookah Lounge in June.
On Feb. 26, a Snohomish County Superior Court judge ordered the lounge to stop allowing indoor smoking and levied a fine of $89,000, or $100 per day per violation, against its owners.
According to the Snohomish Health District, hookah lounges attract young people to a dangerous habit.
“Smoke is smoke,” Health Officer Dr. Gary Goldbaum said in his testimony. “Hookah tobacco may smell sweet and be cheaper than cigarettes, but it is no less harmful or addictive.”
In a press release, Goldbaum said he is glad the ruling makes it clear hookah lounges are not a potential business opportunity.
Pierce County has also recently attempted to crack down on hookah lounges in court.
Meanwhile, hookah lounges in King County and elsewhere have required customers to pay for memberships, turning the lounges into private clubs to skirt the public-business portion of the law.
âHealth Officers may smell sweet and be cheaper than other politicians, but are no less harmful or addictive.â
@BuddyHolly, I don't think it's appropriate to classify hookah or shisha as pot, lol. Anyways, if the establishment has been paying taxes since they started business the government should be happy with it unless a majority of people are concerned or reports it.
http://www.americanhookahbars.com
@FiercePirate @dachocolatewan @realyano lol I did the same thing
ARE THESE PUBLIC/PRIVATE POT SMOKING HOUSES?
Maybe it's time everyone started smoking POT! HAHAHA
I think it is ludicrous. The government should not have that much say on what we do. How we run our businesses is up to us as long as we are paying our taxes. The bigged nose government have had their say, now it is time for we the people to stand up for our rights and quit bending our #$$*$ over and letting them lead us around like little puppy dogs. We are adults and know what is good for us, and know what is healthy, so we should be able to make the decisions on weather we walk into a smoking bar or not.Â
This is either a case of a corrupt judge or a defense attorney not fit to hold a license. From what I've read this smoke shop had a members only club that is perfectly legal for people to smoke in. If its a corrupt judge the case will be won through the appeal process if the guy decides to appeal. Slowly our inalienable rights are disappearing.
There is a cigar lounge that I occasionally go to. It's nice to pick out a cigar, kick back with a bloody mary, and watch the news or play cards with the old men.Â
Businesses like that should have authorization to smoke indoors. They should just put up a sign that says "This is a smoking establishment," and be done with it. If non-smokers don't want to be around smoke then they can go somewhere else.
I don't smoke, but I do realize one thing. In this country you can't discriminate against anyone except smokers.
Don't these people realize we only exist to pay taxes and obey our Dear Leaders.  I just don't know where people get the idea that government is here to serve the public.  We are here to serve and obey government and provide bureaucrats with comfortable retirements. Any rules they impose on us is for our own good. We would all die very soon if not for the dictators in the bureaucracy. Â
Don't really care for these places but are you telling me they are any better or worse than over active night clubs that serve people too much booze and result in fights and shootings are any better.... honestly what people choose to do to their own bodies are no concern of mine.. if you don't like being around smoke then don't go to these businesses... very simple solution
Stupid business owner. After the first warning they should have made it a private club......More concerning is the fact the government is using the law to control our behavior, not others.
"According to the Snohomish Health District, hookah lounges attract young people to a dangerous habit.
âSmoke is smoke,â Health Officer Dr. Gary Goldbaum said in his testimony. âHookah tobacco may smell sweet and be cheaper than cigarettes, but it is no less harmful or addictive.â"
Let people make their own decisions to go there, and stay if they wish.
@K00lGuyâSmoke is smoke,â Health Officer Dr. Gary Goldbaum said in his testimony. âHookah tobacco may smell sweet and be cheaper than cigarettes, but it is no less harmful or addictive.â"
Wrong. The issues with cigarette smoke are huge, more so than any other type of product (in general). It takes ~389 cigars to equal the damage done (to the smoker) of one pack of cigarettes. The additives are the killers when burned. Most hookah 'tobacco' is actually herbs and fruits instead of chemicals. IIRC, cooking on your gas or charcoal grill generates more (and worse) smoke than using a hookah or cigar.
@theToucan @K00lGuy I bet if any real research was actually done you find very little negative effects of even smoking tobacco. Its not the tobacco thats killing people, its all the carcinogens like formaldehyde and nicotine added to the tobacco to make cigarettes that is harmful. And second hand has always been a big joke.
@Blindman @theToucan @K00lGuy  Please read this article - http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke   - - also, I lost one friend to Cancer from 2nd hand smoke - - another friend - who was a non-smoking nurse during the time hospitals allowed smoking - has had Cancer removed from both of her lungs - - :-( :-(
@Blindman @theToucan @K00lGuy Agree with the harmful additives portion of your comment. But secondhand smoke is a problem. I lived in Japan for the past 15 years and I can tell you that the air quality is much better here in the US with indoor smoking laws. Just walking into a place in Japan, you can feel the lack of oxygen in the room. Your hair and clothes stink, even after short exposure, and you have to wash them all. The walls are covered with yellow tar. Your lungs are affected the same.
@K00lGuy Yep. Smoking is legal in this state if you are in a private club like that guy in Olympia is doing. Just have to learn to play the game. There's one in downtown Seattle too but its for muslims. I hope that now that cannabis is quasi legal that more entrepreneurs will start these clubs in towns all over the state.
I still don't get why you can't have a business that is only for smoking but can't smoke inside. I doubt non-smokers are going there and if they are then they're doing it wrong.
@Hachee_Bungwhy Likely because of the fact that you can't knowingly expose employees to the risks of smoking "against their will". Even if they are smokers. Then you'll get the ones who aren't smokers who come in and apply for a job and start complaining that they didn't "know" what they were going to be exposed to and bringing complaints over work conditions. "IF" they happen to get any kind of condition that could possibly be linked to smoke exposure it can then be a L&I claim. Easier for the state to simply ban all exposure at this point and be a a big brother government.
@MHunt @Hachee_Bungwhy Ah, I see. A bunch more BS. Gottcha. Gotta hold every ones hand in this country now a days and make sure they aren't hurting themselves.
When are they gonna go after fast food restaurants? I mean if they must protect us from ourselves that would be as good of place as any to start. I also think we need a government enforced exercise program.
@Sparky2112Â Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, don't give them any ideas! Â Next thing you know it'll be a 'Jobs Program' with all kinds of high-school drop-outs making Grandma work-out. Â The Dumbocrats will justify the expense by claiming it'll save money 'long-term" on their 'socialized medical plan' (Obama Care). Â You see, they will be "IN-CHARGE" and us peons will have to conform.
@K. Coleman @Sparky2112Yeah cause it's the dems trying to steal your liberties right? This is such a right wing issue and has been for years, the religious monkeys want to save everyone and can't mind their own fn business. God, please save me from your followers!!
@stillywack BOTH parties are trying to take away individual rights.  The Republicans and Xtian wackos want to get into peoples bedrooms and control their reproductive decisions as well as tell others how to live.  The Democrats want to take peoples gun rights away and tell them what to eat, drive and think.  Screw them both!  Stay out of my bedroom and my fridge and my life. Â