Please enlighten me on why the health department wants me to sell alcohol to get licensing for a hookah cafe?

Question

I live in WV, smoking is legal in bars. The only way I can open a hookah cafe (smoke flavored tobacco in a cafe setting), is if I sell alcohol. Why? If people knowingly go into a business specialized in tobacco.. how is that breaking the law?

Just because 80% of my business doesn't come from alcohol?

Answer 1

Perhaps because smoking is only allowed in Bars - places that sell alcohol, so if you want to encourage smoking in an indoor premise you too would have to sell alcohol?

Answer 2

You said it..... legal in bars.The basic thing is it is a smoking environment. Maybe not right if you think about it but you have to think about what the state thinks. Those who would tend to smoke in a hookah bar might be more likely to smoke other things elsewhere. What is to say some might not smoke a blend w. something else in your place? Maybe they might have a few drinks before or after. Tabacco is a controlled substance in itself. Various agencies are involved. The way it is set up is IDing people..... liquor or tabacco. Your have to show that you do this.

With a liquor license the state has more rights to enter and monitor your establishment. Then there are all of the fire code things and insurance that comes along with it. If you allowed smoking in say a clothing store there would be all sorts of codes to deal with. They would deny or yank your permits. Then comes in occupancy permits and the fire permits come in again. Insurance could be denied and whomever you leased from would be able to sue you for all if something happened. It all comes down to insurance, the state getting their due, safety, monitoring and insurance. It's complicated but not.

I assume WV is like Virginia. You can get a license to only sell beer and wine and this is seperate from the one to sell actual liquor. It is easier to get (think about little delis and cafes) and taxes are smaller. You may wish to do a middle eastern style coffee and tea place but you should have some sort of alcohol.

Answer 3

If smoking is not legal in normal retail establishments, then you cant have people smoking in your store. If you sold alcohol, then you can have people smoking indoors.

Answer 4

Doesn't make sense to me either, but it shows you how coorporations (in your case, the alcohol industry) have a hand in swaying legislation to their benefit.

So much for free market.