Following the guidelines of Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (COTPA) Act, Ranchi district administration will soon form a team to conduct raids at city-based hotels, restaurants and clubs running Hookah bars. The decision is taken under the aegis of National Tobacco Control organization programme and after a meeting conducted recently with the officials to control the use of additive products and to create awareness about the same in capital city. The district administration is all set to act sternly considering the State Government decision as well on the mushrooming hookah bars across the capital city that is often visited by minors breaching the age guidelines and also have terrible effect on passive smokers. According to Ranchi DC soon all the hookah bars running in State Capital will be under the radar for violation of the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA).The development is being considered on serious grounds with the active involvement of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce officials, who have been asked to prepare the list of CNF and distributors selling additive products across the city at earliest. The authorities will take action against the hookah parlors and lounge owners that violate COTPA provisions even as it ruled that hookah bars do not require separate trade licenses and can be operated at any eatery joints, clubs, lounges etc.
“Restaurants, hotels, clubs and lounge bars serving hookah to minors or serving hookah without pictorial warning and reasonable health instructions will be targeted for violations. Teams will be formed within a week and will raid all possible places including eatery joints as well, if they are found serving hookah. The raids will be carried out after checking all the possible norms under the COTPA provision,” said Ranchi DC, Manoj Kumar.
Notably, on the occasion of Christmas and New Year Celebration, ample footfall is witnessed at the hotels, bars etc. serving hookah in different flavours ranging from mint to strawberry to both adults and minors gathered in groups. The prices for one pot shared mainly among four to five people in a group for at least one hour ranges from Rs500 to Rs 800 or even more depending on the choices of favors ordered at a time by the customers.
“Before New Year and Christmas raids will be carried out at all the places running Hookah parlors. Two months back and in public interest, health warning and public service announcement (PSA) have been put up at all the major public places. After the list is ready, without wasting time action will be taken on hookah bar owners. Soon short films depicting the ill-effects of using cigarettes, hookah and other additive stuffs will be shown at theaters and multiplexes as a precautionary warning,” added Kumar.