Town of Fraser acts to ban Hookah Lounges

Before the smoke arrives, Fraser officials want to clear it out.

The City Council has voted unanimously to restrict the placement of hookah lounges and bars -- even though the city has none and no applications have been filed to build one in Fraser.

The bars, which are found in cities including Detroit, Sterling Heights and Royal Oak, are gathering spots for those who want to smoke something other than cigarettes.

Although Mayor Marilyn Lane said Fraser hasn't received an application from anybody looking to build a hookah lounge, some inquiries have been made into vacant buildings in the city. And that is why the council decided last month to take preemptive action.

"It's more popular in college towns," Lane said last week. "I guess it's coming out to the suburbs. Although we didn't have applications, there were some inquiries."

The council adopted an ordinance that says the lounges must be at least 1,250 feet from any school and cannot abut a residential neighborhood on more than one side. They also cannot be open before 9 a.m. or after 1 a.m.

Hookahs also are known as water pipes. Tobacco is heated and the smoke passes through a bowl of water or juice to cool it. The smoker draws the smoke through a mouthpiece connected to the pipe by a rubber hose.

Hookahs also are part of the culture of growing up in some Middle Eastern households.

City Attorney Jack Dolan said officials were concerned that the activity is gaining popularity among young people. Plus, it might be hard to tell sometimes exactly what substance people are smoking with the hookahs.

Lane pointed out the health concerns and also guessed that hookah bar owners wouldn't look at Fraser as a prime place to find clients.

"We're known for having strict laws," she said.

The Troy City Council passed an ordinance in August that requires hookah bars to obtain smoking lounge licenses and undergo police, fire and building department investigations.