By Michael Tomsic
Wilmington, NC – Bars and restaurants throughout the state are preparing for the North Carolina's smoking ban. But the ban puts Hookah bars in a particularly tight spot.
The Hookah Cafe in Wilmington offers a variety of flavored molasses tobaccos to smoke its business depends on smoking.
After curing hookah tobacco for more than 30 years, owner Ayman Atallah says he has no other options if the state's smoking ban causes his business to close.
"What would happen to me is, me and my three children will be on welfare. That's it. Very simple, just as simple as that. I'm a 49, 48, 49 years old guy, uneducated, never completed college, I'm not a handy-man, I know nothing about computers and I know nothing about cell phones. There's nothing I could do."
Atallah says hookah tobacco is a fundamental part of his culture. He says North Carolina hookah bar owners must work together to get an exemption from the smoking ban which goes into effect January second.
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