In the United States, establishments akin to shisha parlors first opened decades ago in the immigrant quarters of New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, California as coffee and tea houses.
Many shisha parlors in the United States have elements such as glass tables, plasma televisions, and oxygen bars. Most bars in the U.S. require patrons to be at least 21 years old to smoke shisha and 21 years old to purchase (exceptions are Utah, Arizona, Alabama, and New Jersey: 19 years old to smoke).
Over the recent years hookah has become increasingly popular for teens and young adults. As of 2014, one out of every five high school seniors in the U.S. had tried hookah,and one in five 18-to-24-year-olds in the U.S. have smoked hookah in the past month. It is not uncommon now to find hookah bars within short distance of college campuses and in the surrounding towns.This younger generation is often the target for hookah business establishments.
Laws about selling and use of hookah in the U.S. differ state by state. Most states do not allow minors (under age 18) to smoke hookah and some states ban hookah smoking in public places. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun to regulate hookah tobacco along with cigarettes and other types of tobacco.There is concern that even if FDA places health warning labels on hookah packages, they may not be seen by people who smoke in hookah lounges, since the tobacco is usually taken out of the packages before it is served.