Karnataka bans sale, consumption of hookah with immediate effect
Image Credit: twitter
The Karnataka government has imposed a state-wide ban on hookah to protect "public health and youth." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), State Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said, "Given the serious health risks...we have taken decisive action by banning hookah smoking across the state." The ban is backed by data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016-17 of the World Health Organization. The survey says that 22.8% of adults in Karnataka use tobacco, with 8.8% being smokers.