Chandigarh Administration extends ban on hookah bars for 2 months

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Chandigarh, April 17

The UT Administration has extended the ban on hookah bars in the city for another period of two months.

In an order issued today, the District Magistrate stated that hookah bars were operational in Chandigarh in a clandestine way, which were serving flavoured hookahs, including tobacco molasses containing nicotine, which was highly injurious to health of people. At times there is a suspicion that apart from tobacco, other harmful narcotic chemicals are also mixed with tobacco molasses served in these hookah bars.

“Hookah in most of these bars is being smoked/consumed by people/customers through a common bowl, pipe and a hose having mouth piece, which is susceptible to physical mouth to mouth touch of many persons, thus posing danger to human life, health and safety as well as leading to the transmission and spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Chandigarh,” she said, adding that for immediate prevention of the said practice, no hookah would be served for smoke/consumption in hotels, restaurants, taverns, bars, hookah bars, etc., for another sixty days from April 16.

Any person violating this order will be punished under Section 188 of the IPC.