Karnataka Bans Hookah Bars and raises the age to 21 for buying tobacco products: Health Concerns Raised
The Government of India wants to implement specific changes by making amendments to cigarettes and other tobacco products in the Winter session.
Why did the Karnataka government ban hookah?
The Karnataka government is hoping to ban hookah bars within the state, and it is also thinking of considering raising the minimum age for buying tobacco products, including cigarettes from 18 to 21 years. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, including B Nagendra and Dinesh Gundu Rao, had informed the press about it. Rao also gave a statement on Twitter from his official Twitter handle about his plans to introduce a law banning hookah bars.
He added it is essential, considering the well-being of the citizens, that the government has decided to ban hookah bars by having a separate act for it. The decision was to discourage the consumption of tobacco products among the youth population and ensure that they have a healthy future. The government also intends to implement these changes in the forthcoming winter session. The ministers also said that the government is seriously planning to issue a vital order and also collaborate with the police to make sure that the ban is enforced.
Earlier, the minimum age for banning tobacco products such as cigarettes was 18. Now, they are thinking of moving an amendment to increase the age limit to 21 for buying any tobacco product to discourage the youth from smoking so that they can have a healthy lifestyle.
What are the laws on hookah in India?
The government believes that hookah bars are nothing less than a gateway to drugs, whereas youngsters between 12 and 27 go to these places and get addicted. There is no particular way that can help them verify what sort of substances are given to them in terms of hookah flavors; therefore, the state government has taken a firm decision to ban hookah bars. They want Karnataka to become hookah-free so the youngsters can have a better future. Moreover, they also pointed out that many unlicensed hookah bars have mushroomed in various parts of Karnataka, which has become a crucial den for substance abuse among youngsters.
Moreover, the government also believes that the new amendment will try to ban the sale of tobacco products within 100 meters of proximity to places such as places of worship, healthcare institutions, education institutions, parks, and public offices. Moreover, any hookah bar operating in the city is found using substances that are banned, and they will be facing severe consequences, as put forward by the former home minister in March 2022.
Moreover, it is challenging to find out the ingredients used in hookah consumption, and those ingredients can also cause youngsters to get addicted as such hookah bars are misusing substances.
My opinion
Hookah might look attractive to teens, but apart from the glamorous side, it has a lot of health effects and is equally addictive to smoking. There are a lot of health risks that come along with sharing hookah, which include cough, cold, and even COVID-19. In some cases, it might even lead to transfer to tuberculosis. It is a myth to believe that hookah is not addictive and does not have cancer-causing chemicals. It is equally addictive, and it can also lead to cancer. Parents need to realize that they should stop giving funds to their kids to frequent hookah bars to end this bad habit. Patience is essential here, but at the same time, you should use ticks such as rewarding them for quitting hookah.
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