PANCHKULA: A special task force team of state drug controller has registered 37 cases against hookah bars across Haryana since December 2017. Four such cases have been registered in Panchkula alone. As of now, the authorities are finding it difficult to register anymore cases as hookah bars have stopped using flavours mixed with nicotine and were only adding nicotine as per the demand — that too in quantity, which is hard to trace.“Out of all case, only two have reached the court and rigorous imprisonment has been awarded to the accused,” said officials of food and drugs administration, Haryana.While explaining failure in raids these days, the assistant state drug controller, food and drugs administration, Haryana, A K Ahooja, said, “People use two types of hookahs — conventional and flavoured. The department raids hookah bars where flavoured hookahs are mixed with nicotine. This is a matter of concern. Conventional hookah, on the other hand, is a tradition of Haryana.”“Nicotine in flavoured hookahs used to come in mixture earlier but since the administration has taken action against them, the manufacturers have stopped making nicotine-mixed flavours. However, nicotine-mixed flavoured hookahs are served secretly,” Ahooja added.The administration cannot take action against hookah bars for selling flavours. “During our various raids, we have found that hookah bars are now hiring a person, who keeps nicotine with him and adds it as per the demand of the customers,” said Ahooja.Ahooja said that waiters in the bars ask customers if they want anything in hookahs. “This (‘aur kuch chahiye’) is a code, which lets them know if customers want nicotine,” he added.The administration is booking hookah bars under various acts including COTPA Act (Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act) for smoking at public place, which includes restaurant and hotel, under Section 1919 of Poison Act for serving nicotine to the public and Justice Juvenile Act for serving hookah to18 years and below.

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