Karnataka set to ban hookah bars across state

The Karnataka government plans to ban hookah bars and increase the age limit for purchasing tobacco products to 21 years. Amendments to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) will be introduced in the upcoming winter session of the state legislature. Concerns were raised about the increasing number of children visiting hookah bars and the addictive nature of hookah smoking. The government will issue a government order and involve the police to enforce the ban. Additionally, the ban on the sale of tobacco products will be expanded to a 100-meter radius around educational, religious, health services, and government institutions.