If there was any silver lining to the cloud of cigarette smoke District residents nervously enjoyed in area restaurants and bars last night, it’s that hookah bars may be granted a blanket exemption from the smoking ban that the City Council endorsed yesterday on a 12-1 vote. Council-member Jim Graham, whose Ward 1 enclave includes a number of the Middle Eastern-themed establishments, has announced that he will introduce an amendment to the smoke-free legislation to ensure that hookah bars can stay in business across the city.

Of course, when Graham announced his intentions at a council meeting yesterday, he drew puzzled responses from some members of the council. “What’s a hookah?”, their troubled faces seemed to ask. As reported by the Examiner:

During Tuesday’s discussion on smoke-free legislation, the subject of the water pipe – a popular way to smoke tobacco in the Middle East and India – came up, and most council members had no idea what it was.

Council Member Marion Barry, D-Ward 8, said he had never heard of the device.

“What do you smoke in them?” said Barry, drawing a huge laugh.

Council Member Jim Graham, D-Ward 1, who was hoping to exempt the popular hookah bars from the new law, offered to take Barry to one of the two hookah establishments in his ward.

“I don’t want to go,” Barry said. “I have enough problems already.”

Graham’s amendment was delayed, and he said he would take several council members to the bars for “on-site research.”

DCist is just tickled at the idea of seeing members of the council and their staff nervously eyeing and taking hits off of hookahs packed with flavored tobacco, furiously scribbling their thoughts on the experience and courting passing voters in between puffs of smoke. But where should they go to do their “on-site research”? The stylish Chi-Cha Lounge on U Street, or the more spartan Prince Cafe along Wisconsin Avenue? Maybe Soussi or Queens in Adams Morgan?

Where would you like to see Graham and Co. do their research?