Smoking hookah by the residence halls can come with a price — but it isn’t necessarily illegal.

Smoking hookah outside residence halls at night has become a social pastime for some students. DeKalb Police Corporal Curt Biarnesen, who has served on the force for 18 years, said this could violate a law which states that tobacco products like cigarettes and hookah must be used 15 feet away from any public entrance. Violations can result in students having to leave the premises or getting ticketed.

“First time I am dispatched or see it I give a verbal warning to inform that they are violating the law because sometimes people don’t know. If I get dispatched again or see them again I’ll issue a citation,” said Biarnesen.

Some students have complained about smoke in the doorways of the halls.

“…It only really bothers me when they are smoking marijuana in the hookah,” said Pablo Bernal, sophomore mechanical engineering major.

Students who partake in smoking hookah near the residence halls said it is a great way to relax after a day of classes, and said they only use water vapor and tobacco.

“[I] can’t do it on the floor [because that] would trip the fire alarms, plus [I] get to get fresh air and try new flavors,” said Shabbir Manjee, sophomore political science major.

Randall Weiss, sophomore pre-athletic training major, said smoking hookah by the residence halls is a social activity.

“It’s a great way to hang out with floor mates,” he said. “We do it almost every night for about an hour.”