'Hookah' banned in Chandigarh eateries, restaurants

Chandigarh, Nov 25 (IANS) The Chandigarh administration Tuesday issued orders banning 'hookah' (a traditional smoking water pipe) in all eateries, restaurants and hotels of the union territory.

The ban has been imposed not only on using 'hookah' but also 'anything in the nature of hookah', an administration spokesman said here.

Chandigarh was July last year declared India's first smoke-free city with a ban on smoking in all public places.

The 'hookah' ban has been imposed by District Magistrate R.K. Rao. Initially, the ban will be enforced for 60 days but is likely to continue.

The ban follows raids on various eating joints across the city where excise officials found that 'hookah' bars were being operated under the garb of restaurant services.

'The use of hookah emits huge smoke in the restaurants and becomes injurious to the health of persons inhaling it. It has been observed that the younger generation is more susceptible and lured by it and prone to addiction to smoking, which in turn causes respiratory diseases like chronic bronchitis, asthma and coronary artery diseases,' an administration spokesman said here.