The government has decided to ban the sale and use of hookahs in hotels, restaurants and even airports while smoking is otherwise legally permitted.
According to an official notification of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on May 23, the government said that services like hookah would no longer be allowed from the date of issue of the notification.
"In exercise of the power conferred by Section 31 of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, the government notifies that no service shall be allowed in any smoking area or space provided for smoking," said the Health Ministry statement.
The notification, a copy of which is with Millennium Post, further stated that the owner/proprietor/manager of the hotel, restaurant or airport, need to display a board at the entrance of the smoking area or space of minimum size of 60×30 cm with a white background and having a message in English and one Indian language.
The boards will have to display messages that smoking is harmful to health and the health of non-smokers, and entry of person below the age of 18 years is prohibited, it stated.
Notably, in 2014, the Supreme Court struck down the ban on sale and use of hookahs in hotels, restaurants and even airports where smoking is otherwise legally permitted.