Hookah ban snuffs out business

After the BBMP came down heavily on hookah parlours, cafes serving hubble-bubble across the city witness 50 per cent drop in revenue

Following the ongoing crackdown on hookah parlours in the city, cafes serving sheesha recorded a substantial drop in their business. "We have patrons coming here only because of hookah. With the ban, we witnessed 50 per cent drop in customers, "said Wazir Ahmed, area manager of Java City, a cafe that used to serve around 20 hookahs a day.

Bubbles busted: BBMP has seized over 45 hookahs from various joints
across Jayanagar, Koramangala and Church Street in their crackdown
over the weekend

He added that customers spend over 45 minutes at a stretch while smoking hookah and thus, order snacks and beverages. However, after the ban, we have been incurring a loss of around Rs 4,000 a day. Thus, to urge BBMP to revoke its decision, almost 30 cafes across the city have formed Cafe Owner's Association. Members of the association will meet civic officials during the latter part of the week.

Lift the ban
A representative from a cafe at Indiranagar that served hookah said that the ban should be removed as most cafes serve non-tobacco fruit-based hookahs. "A cafe is a place where people come to unwind and hookah is a big part of it. With the ban, all cafes will witness a dip in customer footfalls.

Why are they banning hookah? Will they ban liquor too? Even that is not good for health?" a representative questioned.However, Y M Ramachandarmurthy, deputy commissioner of BBMP, said that under no circumstances would the ban be revoked.

"Cafes often serve hookahs without verifying if their customers are within the legal age limit. Besides, it is a Central directive that smoking in public is an offence. Hookah contains tobacco, and hence will not be allowed in public places like pubs, restaurants and cafes. We will continue our crackdown," he said. He added that a fine of Rs 200 would be imposed on the person smoking hookah and also, the owner of the cafe will be fined an amount equivalent to the number of people in the group that is caught.

Expertspeak
Dr S Prakash, member secretary of state Anti-tobacco Cell, said, "No matter how little the tobacco content is in hookah, it is still a bi-product of the material. The effect of hookah will be more or less the same as smoking tobacco."

Rs 200 Amount that you may have to pay as fine if you are caught smoking a hookah