Minnesota state law permits customers in tobacco shops to sample tobacco products. The intent of this was to help customers decide what they want to buy. A small number of tobacco shop owners have argued that sampling the merchandise should include operating a hookah bar inside their stores. So far, the Minnesota Department of Health has not taken any action against the hookah bar owners.

A growing number of cities have revised their tobacco licensing ordinances to prohibit any sampling of tobacco products in a tobacco shop. Minnesota state law permits cities to do this. The cities are taking this action to prevent hookah bars from opening. They are concerned that hookah bars make smoking appear to be a desirable social activity and that this will make smoking more popular among young adults.

Hookah or water pipe (see photo) is a method of smoking tobacco that originated in ancient Persia and India.

The pipes are used to smoke tobacco mixed with other flavors. This tobacco mixture is so moist, that it is necessary to light a small piece of charcoal and place it on top of the tobacco to keep it burning.

In recent years, hookah bars have become a fad among young adults. They are usually located near college campuses.

There is an urban myth among young adults that the water in the hookah pipe somehow makes smoking a hookah safer than smoking a cigarette. Hookah smokers are smoking tobacco. Studies show that they are exposed to the same toxic, cancer-causing chemicals that are contained in cigarette smoke. Smoke from the charcoal is inhaled along with the tobacco smoke. This increases the level of carbon monoxide the hookah smoker inhales. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) give an emphatic warning that hookah smoking is NOT a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes.

Learn more about hookah:

Hookah Fact Sheet from Association for Nonsmokers - Minnesota

Link to Hookah page on CDC website