The Karnataka government has issued an order emphasizing research findings that indicate smoking hookah for 45 minutes is comparable to smoking 100 cigarettes. In response to concerns about public health and safety, the government has implemented an immediate ban on the sale, purchase, promotion, marketing, and consumption of all hookah products and shisha.
In an effort to protect the “public health and youth”, the Karnataka government on Thursday announced a statewide ban sale and consumption of hookah citing he serious health risks associated” with it, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said.Taking to social media, Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “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”.
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Those found in violation of the ban on hookah products in Karnataka will face charges under various laws, including the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 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 relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. This move by the government also takes into account fire safety laws, prompted by a previous incident where a hookah bar in Bengaluru, which had violated fire safety regulations, experienced a fire outbreak last year.
It’s worth noting that Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Punjab have already implemented a ban on hookah. The government order in Karnataka has further emphasized the health risks, citing studies that indicate 45 minutes of hookah smoking is equivalent to smoking 100 cigarettes.
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