Welcoming the Karnataka government’s proposal to amend the law for a complete ban on hookah bars, the Consortium for Tobacco Free Karnataka (CTFK) has demanded that the process of amending the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) be expedited. Besides, the ban on hookah bars should be implemented with immediate effect, the consortium demanded.
The consortium is a coalition of like-minded individuals, public health advocates, healthcare associations, and civil society organisations working towards a tobacco-free Karnataka since 2001.
Addressing presspersons, oncologist Ramesh Bilimagga, who is the president of the consortium, said the COTPA amendment has been pending for a long time.