Karnataka Government Bans Hookah Bars
The Karnataka government plans to ban hookah bars and raise the minimum tobacco purchase age to 21, citing health concerns and substance abuse among youth.
The Karnataka government has decided to ban hookah bars and increase the minimum legal age for purchase or sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years. Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the government will amend the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) to bring in the changes. In the new amendment, the sale of tobacco products under the 100-metre buffer zone of places such as educational institutions, places of worship, healthcare institutions, parks and public offices will be banned. Currently, COTPA prohibits smoking in public places and the sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutions. Rao said, “Hookah bars are a gateway to drugs. Youngsters aged between 12 and 27 visit these places and get addicted to drugs. There is no way to verify what sort of substances are being given to them in the name of flavours. Therefore, the state government has decided to ban hookah bars. We want to make Karnataka hookah-free.” He added that several unlicensed hookah bars have mushroomed in Bengaluru which have become a den for substance abuse. It is a misconception amongst youth that hookah is a safer alternative to cigarettes. Experts say that is not the case. According to the American Lung Association website, at least 82 toxic chemicals and carcinogens have been identified in hookah smoke. Roa, citing a report published by a team of doctors, explained, “A single hookah session lasts approximately 45 minutes, with charges going up to ?400-500. Shockingly, this one 45-minute session is the equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes in terms of nicotine deposits.”
