Karnataka mulls ban on hookah bars

Bommai said the state government is “seriously considering” a ban on hookah bars in Bengaluru and other major cities

Law and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said the state government is “seriously considering” a ban on hookah bars in Bengaluru and other major cities.

“Some hookah bars are in restaurants whereas some are standalone in cities such as Bengaluru and Mysuru. Youngsters throng these places. We are seriously considering banning hookah bars,” Bommai told the Legislative Assembly during Question Hour.

“We are studying other states that have banned hookah bars. We will need the cooperation of urban local bodies such as BBMP as they are the licensing authorities,” he said, adding that authorities had booked over 70 cases against hookah bars in Bengaluru alone so far this year.

Bommai was responding to a question by Congress’ Jayanagar MLA Sowmya Reddy. “Drugs are still available in hookah bars and cafes. We need sustained action against drugs. It shouldn’t become seasonal when it gets media coverage only once in a while,” she said.

JD(S) Magadi MLA A Manjunath also complained that his constituency had seen mushrooming of hookah bars and cafes after the police started a crackdown on drugs in Bengaluru.

Bommai assured the Assembly that the government’s ‘war on drugs’ will continue. “Drug abuse is present from slums to the elites, educated to the illiterates,” he said. “Earlier, only ganja was seized. But, we’re going after synthetic drugs in the form of tablets and chocolates,” he said, adding that the number of cases against drugs has gone up from 127 in 2016 to 2,786 in 2020.