Karnataka stops sale and consumption of 'hookah' with immediate effect

The government noted that hookah in hotels, bars and cafes have made food consumption unsafe for the overall population and could adversely affect their health

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced on Thursday that the Karnataka government has decided to implement a statewide ban on hookah smoking "given the serious health risks associated" with it in order to protect "public health and youth."

"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", the Minister stated on X.

Hookah ban in Karnataka: Insights 

The sale, purchase, exposure, marketing and consumption of all hookah items and sheesha have been prohibited with immediate effect, said the government order.

Those found violating the boycott will be charged under COTPA (Cigarette and Tobacco Products Act 2003), Child Care and Protection Act 2015, Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015, Food Safety and Quality Act 2006, Fire Control and Fire Protection Act, and other important sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The government cited the implementation of fire safety laws for their move considering a fire that broke out at a hookah bar in Bengaluru last year. The hookah bar was found to have abused fire safety guidelines.

He also attached the official state government order written in Kannada in a post.

Ban on Hookah in Karnataka: Overview

In September 2023, the state health minister declared that the Karnataka government was mulling a restriction on hookah bars and expanding the legal age for tobacco consumption from 18 to 21 years.

At that point, Gundu Rao had stated that the unknown ingredients utilized in hookahs might actually prompt addiction.

In addition, the Haryana government announced a ban on selling hookah to customers in hotels, bars, restaurants, and other commercial establishments throughout the state last year in a move that was comparable to this one. In any case, the boycott in Haryana doesn't make a difference to traditional hookahs utilized in rural regions.

Reason of Hookah ban in Karnataka

Hookah is a product that is consumed orally through a nozzle or pipe device in a sealed container, as the state health department highlighted. The utilization of hookah spreads infectious illnesses like herpes, Covid-19, tuberculosis, hepatitis and different diseases through the mouth, it stated.

The government referred to studies that point out 45 minutes of hookah smoking is identical to smoking 100 cigarettes and is unhealthy for the human body. The World Health Organization's report states that hookah is an addictive substance that contains a lot of nicotine or tobacco, as well as molasses or flavourings that contain carbon monoxide, a very harmful chemical.

Throughout the Karnataka Assembly winter session in 2023, Karnataka's home minister G Parameshwara had declared that the state would soon come up with a regulation to direct hookah bars in the state.

More than 100 cases were filed against hookah bars in the last four years, according to data tabled to the Assembly: 18 in 2020, 25 in 2021, 38 in 2022, and 25 in 2023.