SD hookah lounge gives up fight to sell alcohol - KOTA Territory News

SD hookah lounge gives up fight to sell alcohol

Posted:

A Rapid City hookah lounge has apparently halted its fight with authorities who say it had been breaking the state's smoking ban by selling alcohol.

Ifrit's Hookah Lounge was spot checked for compliance Monday to see if alcohol was still being sold at the lounge. If it had been, police had promised to start enforcing the state's smoking ban, which exempts retail tobacco stores only if they generate 65 percent of their income from tobacco sales and don't allow alcohol consumption.

Ifrit's attorney had previously argued that smoking tobacco from a hookah pipe isn't the same as smoking cigarettes and cigars.

Pennington County officials disagreed. Rapid City police conducted the compliance check at 11 a.m. Monday and determined that Ifrit's is no longer selling alcohol.

An attorney representing the Hookah Lounge says the owners will continue to fight the enforcement, and proceed with filing civil action.

 

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Powered by WorldNow

518 St. Joseph St.
Rapid City, SD 57701

Telephone: 605.342.2000
Fax: 605.342.7305

Couldn't find what you were looking for?
Powered by WorldNow
All content © Copyright 2000 - WorldNow and KOTA. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.