Worth waves goodbye to hookah bars

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Ordinance bans smoking everywhere

By William Jones

Worth village trustees on Tuesday adopted an ordinance that bans smoking in all businesses starting next year.

Citing health concerns and recent legislation signed by United States President Barack Obama, Worth trustees voted 5-0 to approve an ordinance that will ban smoking indoors at all businesses including smoke shops and hookah lounges. Trustee Lezley Zubaty was absent.

Included in the wording of the ordinance is a plan to phase out hookah bars as business licenses expire.

The “Indoor Clean Air Policy” follows the “Smoke Free Illinois Act” that went into effect January 1, 2008. The statewide smoking ban outlawed smoking at bars and restaurants, but lighting up was still legal at businesses people would go for the sole purpose of smoking, such as tobacco shops and hookah lounges. The village policy is set to take effect January 1, 2010.

The ordinance cites information from the United States surgeon general about the risk levels of exposure to secondhand smoke and how tobacco smoke acts as a carcinogen and findings by the Illinois General Assembly that there is no way to safely reduce the levels of secondhand smoke indoors.

The ordinance also specifically mentions findings by the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society that smoking tobacco through hookah pipes, which uses water to filter the smoke, is not safer than smoking cigarettes. Worth is currently home to two hookah lounges, Friends Café and Havana Café.

According to the amended ordinance, smoking is not allowed indoors or within 15 feet of any entrance to a public place or place of employment. In addition, no one may smoke in any vehicle owned, leased or operated by a government entity. Smoking is only allowed in private residences; private and semi-private rooms in nursing homes and long-term care facilities in smoking-designated rooms; and hotel and motel rooms designated for smoking.

Hookah bars may continue to operate until the expiration of their business licenses. Upon expiration, hookah bars will no longer be permitted to operate in Worth, the ordinance states.

Persons found smoking where it is prohibited may be fined if caught. Fines range from $100 to $250. The owner of an establishment that violates the ordinance is to be fined a minimum of $250 for the first violation, $500 for the second within one year, and $750 for each additional violation within one year. A business license can be suspended or revoked when four or more violations of the ordinance are committed within one year.

This is part of the October 8, 2009 online edition of The Reporter.

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