Gurugram: Serving hookah to customers at establishments where food or refreshments are sold or provided will soon become a punishable offense in Haryana.
Haryana’s Health Minister Anil Vij Thursday tabled the “Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution), Haryana Amendment Bill, 2024” to ban serving of hookah or running of hookah bars.
After this amendment in the principal act — the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution), Act 2003 — the opening or running a hookah bar in Haryana, or serving Hookah to a customer at any place, including an “eating house” will invite imprisonment for a term not less than one year, and which may extend to three years, with a fine which shall not be less than Rs 1 lakh and may extend to Rs 3 lakh.
The offences under the Bill have been made non-bailable and cognizable.
The Bill provides that if any police officer of the rank of a sub-inspector or any officer of the Food and Drugs Administration Department or any other officer authorised by the state government has reason to believe that the provisions of section 4-A have been, or are being, contravened, he may seize any material or article used as a subject or means of hookah bar.
“Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, no person shall either on his own or on behalf of any other person, open or run any hookah bar or serve hookah to a customer in any place including an eating house,” says Section 4-A of the Bill.
A Hookah bar has been defined in the Bill as any commercial establishment where people gather to smoke tobacco from a hookah or narghile, which is provided individually as a commercial service but does not include a traditional hookah.
Describing the background, Vij said in the “Statement of Objects and Reasons” of the Bill that the state government has taken serious note that Hookah Bars were serving hookah narghile with tobacco containing nicotine in various districts of Haryana, which is highly injurious to the health of the public at large.
“Various flavours/herbs are also used by such Hookah Bars. Many a time, even banned drugs are served in the said hookah bars under the guise of serving flavours/herbs. Such hookah involves a water pipe system and flavoured constituent sheesha, heated with charcoal,” the statement said.
It said that due to the misconception of lesser or no risk associated with it and the availability of multiple flavours and less harshness, its usage has increased significantly.
However, the smoke of such flavoured hookahs contains various toxicants, which are not only harmful to the person smoking but also to those nearby smoking passively. The principle act of 2003 defines smoking under section 3(n) but does not include smoking of hookah.
“In the interest of the public at large, legislation i.e. ‘The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution), Haryana Amendment Bill,2024’ to define and to prohibit ‘hookah bars’ and further that no Hookah/Narghile is served for smoking in Hookah Bars, Hotels, restaurants, Taverns, or other commercial establishments in the State of Haryana and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto, is required,” said the statement of objects and reasons for the Bill.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
This is a very heartening, concrete and bold step Haryana Government has taken under the leadership of the Hon’ble CM. It will prevent youth from initiating into addiction, especially the nicotine addiction (tobacco). Also, it will save lives of current hukka smokers motivating them to quit.