The Shiromani Akali Dal-Bhartiya Janta Party combine MLA Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa today urged National Green Tribunal to immediate take action against the Hookah Bars in Delhi as they were ruining the youth of Delhi by turning them as drug addicts.In a letter written to the NGT, Mr. Sirsa said that it was very surprising that when a campaign has been launched throughout the country to contain the use of tobacco and hookah bars had been banned in majority of states. Recently, Gujarat Government went to pass an ordinance to ban hookah.He said that most hookah bars in Delhi are running on restaurant licenses illegally and selling products that are harmful for the youth.He said that hookah smoking causes potential health effects on hookah smokers particularly among the young boys and girls. He said that one session of hookah smoking is equal to 100 cigarette smoking. He said that a typical hookah smoking session involves 200 puffs while cigarette is 20 puffs. He said that hookah contains harmful chemicals including carbon monoxide, metals and cancer causing chemicals, tar etc.
He said that due to hookah smoking youth are infected with lung cancer, heart diseases, periodontal infection, wrinkled skin, impotency, TB herpes, influenza, nausea, coughing etc.He said that even hookah in smoking zone will glamorize the concept of smoking. People who enter in hookah bars get tempted to drugs also. Serving hookah even in smoking zone will expose staff/non smokers around to carcinogens fumes.He also informed that the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare recently issued a notification regarding Prohibition of smoking in public places on 23-5-2017 in the gazette of India Extraordinary [F.No.P-16011/04/2016-PH-I] vide point No. 3 clearing states that "no service shall be allowed in any smoking area or space provided for smoking". It means No staff or anybody else can serve/offer any cigarette/tobacco/hookah etc. to a customer in the smoking area or space provided for smoking by the hotel and restaurant but the hotel/restaurant owners are violating this notification and openly serving hookahs etc.
Lashing out at AAP government Mr. Sirsa said though Aam Admi Party (AAP) Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal claims himself to a big opponent of drugs but the bitter reality is Delhi government is promoting drugs among the youth under leadership. He said that not only the Delhi government has failed to impose a ban on hookah bars in national capital but it was issuing fresh licenses to restaurants to serve liquor in their premises. He said that as these places are visited mostly by the youth who are lured into alcohol consumption and use of hookah.He said that it appears that it was aim of the Kejriwal government to turn the youth as drug addicts as all the policies of the government are directed against the youth. Urging the NGT to act fast, Mr. Sirsa said that use of hookah and consumption of alcohol will ruin the youth of Delhi and if action against these hookah bars is delayed then it may cause huge damage to the society particularly the young generation and only Delhi government will be responsible for its inaction against these illegal bars.