Production of Tobacco Products without Specified Warnings and Nicotine/Tar Content on Label to Face Consequences
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh, February 27-
Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij has said that the state government is continuously making efforts to provide right direction to the youth in the state, in this direction, two bills were passed on the fifth day of Haryana Vidhan Sabha. These bills include the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Haryana Amendment Bill, 2024 and the Haryana Antrarashtriya Gita Jayanti Mela Authority Bill, 2024, so as to keep our youth away from toxic substances and they can get the art of living an ideal life.
Vij says that the state Government has taken a serious note that Hookah Bars are serving hookah narghile with tobacco containing nicotine in various Districts of Haryana, which is highly injurious to health of the public at large. Various flavours/herbs are also served by such Hookah Bars. Many a times, even banned drugs are served in the said hookah bars under the guise of serving flavours/ herbs. Such hookah involves water pipe system and flavoured constituent shisha, heated with charcoal. Due to the misconception of less or no risk associated with it and availability of multiple flavours and less harshness of smoke its usage has increased significantly. However, smoke of such flavoured hookah contains various toxicants, which are not only harmful for the person smoking but also those nearby due to passive smoking. The cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and, Distribution) Act, 2003 defines smoking under section 3(n) but it does not include smoking of hookah.
In the interest of public at large, a legislation i.e. ‘The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Haryana Amendment Bill, 2024’ to define and to for prohibit 'hookah bars' and further that no Hookah/ Narghile is served for smoking in Hookah Bars, Hotels, Restaurants, Taverns, or other commercial establishments in the State of Haryana and formatters connected therewith and incidental thereto, is required. Therefore, this bill is presented.