Residents Opposed to Northeast Cobb Hookah Lounge Launch Petition

A Cobb County zoning meeting is set for Tuesday to discuss a controversial new hookah lounge that wants to set up shop in the Sandy Plains Village Shopping Center.

Opponents of the proposed Kasbah Bar & Bistro are asking people to attend the zoning meeting, set for 9 am at 100 Cherokee Street in Marietta.

An online petition against the new business has been launched, and so far has gathered more than 400 signatures.

People opposed to the business say hookah lounges are hotbeds of crime, increase the likelihood of drunk driving, and overall are family unfriendly establishments.

Kasbah is seeking to open in the old Donny's/Pizza Hut spot at the intersection of Sandy Plains Road and Highway 92.

According to the American Cancer Society, hookah smoking, long prevalent in the Far and Middle East, involves burning tobacco, passing it through a water-filled bowl and inhaling the smoke through a long hose.

Waterpipes are most common in areas of China, India, Pakistan, and the Eastern Mediterranean Region. However, in the last several years hookah has been gaining in popularity in the United States, particularly among college students and young adults.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the charcoal used to heat the tobacco can raise health risks by producing high levels of carbon monoxide, metals, and cancer-causing chemicals. Even after it has passed through water, the smoke from a hookah has high levels of these toxic agents.