Karnataka hikes tobacco fine to ₹1000, up to 3 yrs jail for hookah bars

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has significantly strengthened its stance on tobacco control by increasing the fine for smoking or using tobacco products in public from ₹200 to ₹1,000. In a major policy shift aimed at curbing tobacco use and safeguarding public health, the legal minimum age for purchasing cigarettes and tobacco products has also been raised from 18 to 21 years.

The revised provisions, announced by the state’s Health Ministry on Saturday, were formalised through a gazette notification following the President of India Droupadi Murmu's assent on May 23 to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2024. The amendments update the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, specifically as it applies to Karnataka.

A central feature of the amended Act is the outright ban on the operation of hookah bars in any form. The law prohibits anyone from opening or operating a hookah bar, either independently or on behalf of another, in any venue—be it an eating house, bar, restaurant, or pub—irrespective of the terminology used to describe the establishment.

Violations of the newly added Section 4A of the Act will attract stringent penalties, including imprisonment for a minimum of one year, extendable up to three years, and a fine ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹1,00,000.

The revised legislation also enforces several additional restrictions. The sale of cigarettes and tobacco products is now forbidden to individuals below 21 years of age. Furthermore, sales are banned within a 100-metre radius of educational institutions and in loose form or as single sticks.

Importantly, the definition of “use” of tobacco under the new rules includes both smoking and spitting in public areas. However, the Act permits designated smoking zones in specific establishments such as hotels with 30 or more rooms, restaurants with a seating capacity of 30 or more, and airports.

With this legislative move, Karnataka aligns itself with other states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which have enacted similar amendments aimed at intensifying tobacco control efforts and promoting public health.

With IANS inputs