Karnataka govt has banned the sale and consumption of hookah products in view of public health and safety. The sale, purchase, publicity, marketing and consumption of all hookah products and sheesha have been banned with immediate effect, said the government order.
Those found violating the ban will be charged under COTPA (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, Fire Control and Fire Protection Act, and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
“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.
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 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.