An effort to exempt hookah bars from the new statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants appears to be dead for this year.

James Romoser reports in the Winston-Salem Journal that Rep. Cullie Tarleton is dropping his bill to exempt hookah bars from the ban, which goes into effect in January.

Tarleton pulled the bill after hookah bar owners objected to amendements to the bill that they said would put unfair restrictions on them.

Hookah bar owners are worried their businesses could go up in smoke.

In the coming weeks, owners hope to persuade state lawmakers to make exemptions for them similar to those granted to cigar bars and country clubs that will allow smoking after a ban takes effect Jan. 1.

The disparity between cigar and hookah bars "just boggles the mind" said owner Adam Bliss.

"Look at who goes to those places -- generally older, affluent white males," he said. "Besides the fact that this law is creating an elitist association between who can smoke and who can't, they're allowing government to put me out of business, and this is supposed to be a free market economy here," he said.

Unlike bars and restaurants, which still attract customers for drinks and food, hookah bars could lose the reason for their existence. (N&O)