In a decisive move to address public health risks and safety violations, the Karnataka Health Department on Wednesday issued a statewide ban, including in Bengaluru, on the sale, consumption, and promotion of hookah products.
Effective immediately, the prohibition encompasses hookah tobacco, nicotine-containing and nicotine-free variants, flavoured and unflavored hookah molasses, shisha, and related items.
Also Read:BJP stages protest in Bengaluru to counter Congress’s ‘Chalo Delhi’ dharna at Jantar Mantar
With an aim of safeguarding ‘public health’, the government has implemented a ban on the sale of hookah in hookah bars, citing the violation of state fire control and safety regulations. This action by the government follows a recent fire incident at a Koramangala hookah bar, revealing non-compliance with fire and safety standards.
“The hookah bar is a cause of state fire hazards and violates fire control and fire safety laws. Consumption of hookah in hotels, bars and restaurants makes food items unsafe for public consumption and may adversely affect public health. In general, the sale, consumption, and advertising of hookah products known as hookah tobacco or nicotine-containing nicotine-free tobacco-free, flavoured, unflavored hookah molasses, shisha and other similar names and the producing, procuring, trading of the same has been banned with immediate effect in the interest of public health in the state.” the government’s order read, according to The Indian Express.
Also Read:‘Mamata Banerjee said Congress won’t cross 40 seats, I pray…’: PM Modi in Rajya Sabha
Taking to his social media X, the Karnataka Health Minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao posted, “Statewide Ban on Hookah to Protect Public Health and Youth given the serious health risks associated with hookah smoking, we have taken decisive action by banning hookah smoking across the state.”
This stringent measure is supported by concerning data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2016-17 (GATS-2), revealing that 22.8 percent of adults in Karnataka use tobacco, with 8.8 per cent being smokers.
Also Read:Chennai: Man ignites fire in front of Kapaleeshwarar Temple | Video
Violators of this ban will face legal consequences under various acts, including the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Act 2003, Child Care and Protection Act 2015, Food Safety and Quality Act 2006, Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015, Indian Penal Code, and Fire Control and Fire Protection Act.
The Karnataka government referred to studies indicating that 45 minutes of hookah smoking is equivalent to smoking 100 cigarettes, stressing upon the severe health risks associated with hookah consumption. The World Health Organization’s report was also cited, highlighting hookah’s addictive nature and its composition containing high amounts of nicotine or tobacco, along with hazardous substances like carbon monoxide.
This move comes in line with the announcement made during the winter session of the Karnataka Assembly in 2023, where Home Minister G Parameshwara declared the state’s intention to regulate hookah bars through a new law.
The government aims to curb the rising number of hookah bars, as reflected in over 100 cases filed against them in the last four years, demonstrating a clear escalation from 18 cases in 2020 to 25, 38, and 25 in the subsequent years, respectively.