The General Assembly’s smoking ban will in essence shut down hookah bars. At least one owner –Adam Bliss of Hookah Bliss in Chapel Hill — seems resigned that legislators are killing his livelihood by prohibiting adults to make their own decisions about whether to use a legal product. From the Winston-Salem Journal:

The problem stems from the smoking ban that was passed by the legislature in May. The ban will take effect Jan. 2. It outlaws smoking in indoor areas of nearly all bars and restaurants.

The law allows a few exemptions. Cigar bars, country clubs and nonprofit fraternal organizations — such as Elks lodges — may continue to allow smoking. But no such exemption was granted for hookah bars.

Bliss sees that as unfair and inconsistent.

“They have exempted every place that affluent, older folks like to go,” he said.

Bliss opposed an effort by Rep. Cullie Tarleton to carve out an exemption for hookah bars, saying it would have placed too many restrictions on his business.

“That would have just been a slow death as opposed to a quick, clean death,” said Adam Bliss, the owner of Hookah Bliss in Chapel Hill. “We’d rather go out clean than be bled to death.”

Maybe Mr. Bliss will follow in the footsteps of a fellow Chapel Hill business owner who has decided to leave the state rather than put up with the growing anti-business, anti-freedom, pro-tax hike environment.