Aimed at protecting “public health and youth”, the Karnataka government has decided to implement a statewide ban on hookah smoking, “given the serious health risks associated” with it, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced on Thursday.
In a post on X, the Minister 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”.
“In light of this concern, we are implementing a ban on hookah smoking in Karnataka by amending the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). Our government is working to build a safer and healthier environment for our future generations,” he added.
In the post, he also attached the official state government order written in Kannada.
In September 2023, the state health minister announced that the Karnataka government was mulling a ban on hookah bars and increasing the legal age for tobacco consumption from 18 to 21 years.
At the time, Gundu Rao had highlighted that the unknown ingredients used in hookahs could potentially lead to addiction.
Also, in a similar move last year, the Haryana government announced a ban on serving hookah to customers in hotels, restaurants, bars, and commercial establishments across the state.
However, the ban in Haryana does not apply to traditional hookahs used in rural areas.
