State plans to regularise hookah bars

Having regularised dance bars, the Maharashtra government has now set its sights on hookah parlours, which it said had become a haven for sale of drugs under the guise of tobacco. The government will put in place guidelines for hookah parlours to follow, give them licences and check the substances used for hookah, among others.

Currently, hookah bars are covered under the Maharashtra Police Act rules and Tobacco Control Acts of the Central government that has no mention of hookah specifically.

The home department is working on a policy to regularise hookah bars that are popular among college students. “Currently, there are no rules and usually, hotel owners run small hookah bars on their premises. The move has been taken after we received complaints of drug use in the name of tobacco at hookah bars,” principal secretary of home department, Vijay Satbir Singh told this paper.

In the process of regularising hookah bars, the home department is likely to bring in rules on issuing licences, age restriction, and use of substance for smoke, among others.

Legislators also raised the issue of banning hookah bars which according to them was spoiling youngsters. “We have received individual complaints against hookah bars. Legislators have also raised the issue in the Assembly demanding their closure. So, we have decided to regularise it,” Mr Singh said.

On July 4, 2011, then mayor of BMC Shubha Raul had ordered shutting down all hookah parlours in the city, which was also followed by the state. The high court had then upheld the order and banned the hookah lounge that forced about 400 across the state to shut. Hookah lounges were closed down completely. However, in 2014, the apex court struck down the ban paving the way for hookah bars to reopen.