In an initiative to check the spread of COVID cases, on Monday the Chandigarh administration banned the consumption of hookah in bars and restaurants in the Union Territory.

“The office of IAS, District Magistrate, Chandigarh, is exercising the power vested under Section 144 of the CrPC that no hookah shall be served for smoke/consumption in hotels/restaurants/taverns/bars/hookah bars,” a press release by the UT administration read.

The hookah bars are thus banned to operate in Chandigarh with respect to their offering hookahs to the visitors.

This order shall come into force from zero hours on December 14 and shall be effective for a period of 60 days up to and including February 11, 2021.

“It has been made to appear to me that hookah bars are operational in Chandigarh in a clandestine way, which is serving flavoured hookahs — including tobacco molasses containing nicotine, which is highly injurious to the health of people,” the press release further read.

Hookah in many of these bars was being consumed by the people through a common bowl, pipe and a hose having a mouthpiece, which is susceptible to physical mouth-to-mouth touch of many persons, acting as a spreader of COVID-19, the administration said.

In view of the emergent nature of the order, it is being issued ex-parte and is addressed to the public in general. Any person violating this order shall be punished under Section 188 of the IPC.

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