Karnataka mulls statewide ban on hookah bars to curb drug menace

Replying to a query from opposition leader SR Patil in the Legislative Council, law and state home minister Basavaraj Bommai said police teams recently raided few hookah bars and unearthed consumption of narcotics by customers.

The Karnataka government is likely to announce a complete ban on hookah bars across the state in order to curb the menace of drugs with action being initiated against all those involved in the sale and supply of narcotics. Replying to a query from opposition leader SR Patil in the Legislative Council, law and state home minister Basavaraj Bommai said police teams recently raided few hookah bars and unearthed consumption of narcotics by customers. “Apart from enforcing the rule of law, we are also bringing a new anti-drugs policy which will tighten the noose around these anti-social elements,” Bommai added.