D.C. hookah lounges are under scrutiny from the health department.

Washington DC is home to quite a few hookah bars.

The D.C. Health Department is now trying to crack down on some of those bars.

The watchdog group, known as Smokefree DC is claiming that some of the hookah establishments do not possess a special exemption to operate. The organization has sent a list of those businesses to the health department.

Smokefree DC is alleging that these bars are violating D.C.’s smoking ban. An interagency task force has recently been established to crack down. Hookah bars seem to be on the rise in the area.

One resident states “This city is very dynamic, very cultural, people from all over, from countries where it is the social thing to do with friends and families.”

The new efforts against the establishments have inflicted fear of shutdown among locals and bar owners.

Hookah is a water pipe, used for smoking flavored tobacco. While many people believe it is safer than traditional cigarettes, several studies have found that hookah smoking is actually more harmful.