Punjab govt to impose permanent ban on hookah bars

The Punjab government today decided to impose a permanent ban on hookah bars in the state instead of issuing temporary orders against them every two months.

The state cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here, approved an amendment to the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA), 2003 for the prevention and control of diseases caused by the use of tobacco products.

The move is aimed at checking the trend of hookah, hookah bars, and the use of tobacco in various forms among youngsters, an official said today.

He said the amendment would result in a complete ban on running of hookah bars in the state.

The proposed amendment would be presented before the Vidhan Sabha, and if passed by the House, would be reserved for the assent of the President of India, he added.

Under the present scheme of things, section 144 of CrPC is promulgated against the hookah bars across the country for two months, which requires an extension at the end of the period.

The extension orders are issued every two months by the district administration.

As per available data, an hour's average of hookah smoking contains 20-200 puffs, which can deliver 50 litres of smoke, containing harmful and carcinogenic chemicals, the official said.

Health risks of smoking hookah includes exposure to toxic chemicals that are not filtered out by the water, and also the risk of infectious disease like tuberculosis resulting from sharing a hookah.