On Wednesday, the Karnataka government approved a bill that outlaws hookah bars throughout the entire state. Violators would face harsh punishments, such as up to three years in jail and fines of up to Rs one lakh.
In order to protect public health and stop the spread of tobacco-related illnesses, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) was amended, according to the announcement, and the ban was then put into place.
Furthermore, the state has made it illegal to sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to anybody younger than 21.
The modified Bill emphasizes the commitment to establishing smoke-free environments by enforcing a broad ban on the use of tobacco products in public areas.
The selling of cigarettes and other tobacco products is prohibited within 100 meters of any school institution, according to the Siddaramaiah-led government. If the rule is broken, there might be a Rs 1,000 punishment.
“It is a decision that the government has taken. There are a lot of youngsters, in their teens, who are found in these places. The government, in the interest of health and law and order, have taken this decision,” Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge said while speaking about the govervment’s decision to ban hookah bars.
The Karnataka government’s decision is in response to ‘alarming data’ released by the World Health Organization‘s Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2016–17 (GATS–2), which stated that 22.8% of adults in the state use tobacco, with 8.8% of them being smokers.
According to the survey, up to 23.9% of adult smokers in the state are passive smokers, meaning they inhale smoke from burning tobacco products or from other individuals who smoke.
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