Hookah bars in Delhi get banned by the Delhi Government

Hookah bars in Delhi will soon be a thing of the past. Be it the travellers or the residents of Delhi, there are a lot of people in the national capital who like to hang out in pubs and bars of the city during the weekends or evenings on a regular basis. And in these restaurants, bars and pubs, there have been a growing trend of a shisha bar that serves hookahs of different flavours. In fact, the hookah bars in CP (Connaught Place) are so popular that they remain packed over the weekends. Thanks to a ban imposed by the Delhi Government, the entire list of hookah lounges in Delhi will go null and void.

Be it the hookah bars in South Delhi or the ones in any other popular hangout spot in the city, the Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporations have been asked by the Delhi Government to immediately cancel licenses of restaurants with hookah bars.

Commenting on this ban, Health Minister Satyendar Jain has pointed out the fact that smoking is not permitted in smoking and in non-smoking zones as per section 4 of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). He also pointed out that the centre had, in May, asked the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to prohibit the use of hookahs completely.
"Therefore, hookah bars in any form are illegal and Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporations should cancel the licenses of such restaurants, eateries and hotels where such illegal Hookah bars are operating," Jain said.


Although a traditional form of smoking in the rural areas of the country, smoking hookah became a popular trend among the urban youth in the recent years. However, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an hour of smoking hookah is even more harmful than that of cigarette. This is mainly because an hour-long session of hookah involves 200 puffs as compared to cigarette which requires 30 puffs in an hour.