'For society's sake' MPCC and BMC have once again decided to go rough on hookah parlours without a smoking zone
'For society's sake' MPCC and BMC have once again decided to go rough on hookah parlours without a smoking zone
The BMC has once again decided to prosecute all hookah parlours that don't have a smoking zone.
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| Hookah lounges may soon run out of smoke |
The decision was taken after several hookah parlours in the suburbs downed shutters on Friday after Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) workers created a ruckus and asked owners to halt operations.
"No licences are issued to cafes and eateries to serve hookahs, as there is no such policy. We will prosecute hookah parlours that don't follow the norm of having a smoking zone, and revoke their licences too," said Dr Gourish Ambe, executive health officer, BMC.
The MPCC president plans to follow suit. "We decided to take action against the violators for the betterment of society," said MPCC member Rakesh Shetty.
It all started when ex-mayor Shubha Raul initiated a massive campaign against hookah joints in 2008. More than 60 parlours were forced to shut. However, after Raul left office, the drive has lost its pace.
Restaurant owners don't consider this bad news, though. "If the BMC issues licences and norms, running hookah parlours will be simpler," said Rahul Kanal, owner of Frontier Curries and Kebab restaurant, Andheri.
Health hazardThe carbon monoxide to nicotine ratio in a hookah is 50 : 1. In cigarette smoke is 16:1.
1 gram of Hookah tobacco contains 802 mg of tar, 2.96 mg of nicotine and 143 mg of carbon monoxide, according to a study on chemicals found in hookah smoke by scientists A Shih-adeh and R Saleh.
