Telangana State Legislature Assembly and Legislature Council passes bill banning all hookah parlours in state

Hyderabad: Telangana State Legislature Assembly and Legislature Council have passed the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Amendment) Bill 2024, proposing to completely ban all hookah parlours in the state. Both houses passed the bill unanimously. The Bill proposed the amendment to the existing Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act. Moving the Bill, Legislative Affairs minister D. Sridhar Babu said those running hookah parlours were taking advantage of the craze among youth, who were getting addicted to smoking hookahs. The Minister further said anyone found running hookah parlours would face strict punishment, including imprisonment of up to seven years along with fines between 50 thousand rupees to Two lakh rupees. He said the government will also launch an awareness campaign in colleges against hookah smoking and the government will step up its battle against narcotic substances and drugs in the state. The proposed Act will come into force on the Governor’s approval.