The Karnataka government has officially enforced sweeping amendments to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. The updated law, now called the COTPA (Karnataka Amendment) Act, 2024, received presidential assent on May 23 and was published in the state gazette on May 30.
Key changes under the amendment include raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21 and banning the sale of loose cigarettes or single sticks. Additionally, the sale of tobacco products within 100 metres of any educational institution is now strictly prohibited.
The state has also imposed a blanket ban on hookah bars, regardless of whether they are located in restaurants, pubs, or cafes. As per the newly added Section 4A, operating a hookah bar will now invite imprisonment of one to three years and fines ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh under Section 21A of the Act.
The definition of tobacco “use” has been expanded to include both smoking and spitting in public spaces. While designated smoking areas will still be allowed in larger hotels, restaurants, and airports, penalties for violations have increased—rising from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000 under sections 21, 24, and 28.
Despite an earlier ban, hookah bars were still found operating illegally in parts of Bengaluru. The Central Crime Branch recently raided 20 such establishments, seizing hookah pots and flavours worth over Rs 12 lakh.
The Karnataka High Court, in an April 2024 ruling, upheld the ban’s legality under Article 47 of the Constitution, which mandates state action to safeguard public health. The court also clarified that even ‘herbal’ hookahs fall under the ban due to the presence of harmful substances like nicotine and molasses.