Pasha Hookah Bar Remains Closed Over One Death, Others Remain Open Despite Cancer Risks

Photo by Steve Klamkin, WPRO News

The big news story today was the continued closure of Pasha Hookah Bar on Allens Avenue in South Providence after a recent shooting outside the establishment.  However, there was no discussion of the deaths associated with the sixteen other hookah lounges or bars in Rhode Island that allow smoking inside.
Since March 1, 2005, there has been an indoor smoking ban in effect.  However, exceptions exist for the following:

• Cigar bars (income over 50% tobacco products) 
• Outdoor areas 
• Private and semiprivate rooms in nursing homes 
• Retail tobacco stores 
• Stage performances involving smoking 
• Private residences, except used as a licensed child care, adult daycare, or healthcare facility 
• The two state-licensed gambling facilities, Newport Grand and Twin River Casino

In the wake of the general indoor smoking ban taking effect, a niche market of specialized venues to host smokers has become a thriving industry.  Rhode Island has sixteen other hookah bars in operation throughout the state.  And despite efforts to mediate issues caused by smoking by means such as ventilation, tobacco consumption remains a deadly habit that affects not just the individual smoker.  Data from CDC.gov says that there are 42,000 deaths each year among adults from secondhand smoke in America, with 7,333 annual deaths from lung cancer and 33,951 annual deaths from heart disease caused exclusively by secondhand smoke.  Further risks from hookah include the consumption of carbon monoxide by both the smoker and those in the surrounding area.
This can spell certain dire consequences for the staff and servers of such establishments.  Furthermore, pay in these venues is far from ideal.  Many of the servers earn $2.89 per hour plus tips, which can often come at the expense of respect or dignity.  Sexual harassment of female wait staff is a real phenomenon, with patrons making lewd remarks or even physically violating boundaries that would otherwise be deemed poor table manners, especially since these venues also have liquor licenses, Pasha being case and point.

Photo taken from Pasha FaceBook page.

There is now an effort at hand to increase the minimum wage for tipped staff in Rhode Island, a movement bitterly opposed by industry lobbyists and barely acknowledged by Democrats in the General Assembly.  Parties interested in these efforts are encouraged to contact the Providence IWW here for further information.