Jaipur: The Rajasthan assembly on Friday passed an amendment bill to prohibit the opening and running of hookah bars in the state.
The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Rajasthan amendment) bill, 2019 was passed by a voice vote.
According to the provisions of the bill, those who open and run hookah bars in the state shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of one to three years along with a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma, while mentioning the objective of the bill, said the menace of hookah smoking is rapidly growing in urban and sub-urban areas of the desert state.
He said such a trend poses serious health hazards not only to the young generation, but adults too.
The minister said nearly 50,000 people die due to diseases related to tobacco in the state.
The bill's objective also mentioned that the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 prohibits smoking in public places and regulates trade and sale of tobacco products, but does not prohibit hookah bars.
"In order to prohibit hookah bars and provide punishment for opening or running such bars, new sections are proposed to be added in the Act," an official statement said.
The House also passed the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (Amendment) bill, 2019 which proposes for removal of vice-chancellors with consultation with the state government, for abusing powers.
This bill was brought as there was no provision in the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences Act, 2005 to remove a vice-chancellor in the circumstances where he will fully omit or refuse to carry out the provisions of the said Act or abuse the powers, the statement added.
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