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Time of India
26-06-2025
- Time of India
Cops warn Bengaluru restopubs to control music volume level after 10pm
Bengaluru: The police issued warnings to pubs, bars, and restaurants regarding adherence to permissible decibel (dB) levels for music after 10pm. During recent inspections, they registered 19 cases against establishments for various infractions, including absence of designated smoking areas and poor hygiene standards. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to a senior police officer, there were many complaints against the establishments in the Central Business District (CBD) area. During the special drive conducted between June 19 and June 23, the police found following violations: failure to maintain designated smoking zones, violation of the Excise Act, operating beyond the deadline, not maintaining food safety standards, and other illegal activities, including playing loud music. The police registered around 19 cases under COPTA (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003, Karnataka Police Act, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A few establishments, including Pegs N Bottles Bar and Social on Church Street, Lupa on MG Road, Brigade Dream Bar and Restaurant on Brigade Road, and Times Bar and Restaurant on Residency Road, were among the 19 establishments booked. The police issued strict warning to the owners and management of the establishments on June 23 evening and demanded mandatory compliance of rules and regulations.
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Panchkula: Police shutdown illegal hookah, liquor operations; three booked
In a significant crackdown during the early hours of Sunday, local police raided Okho Resort, shutting down an illegal hookah parlour and an unlicenced liquor service. The action was prompted by a tip-off to Kalka police about illicit hookah activities at the venue. District police have booked three individuals. (HT Photo for representation) Upon arrival, the police party observed numerous individuals enjoying drinks and hookah near the swimming pool. A few women were also seen sitting there. During the raid, a man identified as Rohit attempted to dispose of evidence by discarding hookah flavours into the water and emptying liquor bottles. Police recovered six liquor bottles of various brands, including Jameson, Blender's Pride, Black & White, Antiquity Blue, and Hundred Pipers. Also recovered were four hookahs, two chillams, four pipes, and four boxes of flavoured hookah tobacco. District police have booked three individuals identified as Rohit from Pinjore, Kamalpreet from Dharampur Colony, Pinjore, and the resort manager, Amit, from Kalka. A case has been registered under Section 72-C(c) of The Punjab Excise Act, Sections 4 and 5 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, and Sections 223(b), 271, and 272 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Time of India
Cigarettes at an arm's length for students
A small tea shop adjacent to Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School on Spur Tank Road, facing chief education officer's office, sells tobacco products, including cigarettes, blatantly violating the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, (COTPA) 2003. A TOI investigation in at least a dozen schools across Egmore, Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Adyar, Perumbakkam, Thirumangalam, and Porur revealed COTPA violations by shopkeepers, some of whom sell the products openly and others on the sly. P Geetha, who runs a stationery shop opposite T S T Rajah Girls Matriculation Higher Secondary School, redirects customers seeking cigarettes to another shop she secretly owns. When asked if she was aware that she was breaking the law by selling cigarettes near a school, she said, "I don't sell them to students. Also, the sale of cigarettes only happens during evenings and nights (after school hours)…" Even departmental and stationery shops near schools have cigarettes for sale. Shopkeepers said they do not sell tobacco to students. In some shops, cigarettes and other tobacco products are hidden from public view. Activists argue that the issue is not about selling cigarettes or pan to students. "It is about providing easy access to tobacco products. There has to be awareness among teachers and shopkeepers by the education and health departments. Police must ensure adherence," Cyril Alexander, state convenor, Tamil Nadu's People Forum for Tobacco Control, said. Tobacco is the gateway drug, he said. "Several shops put up advertisements for cigarettes, which is against the law. Yet, we see no action against them," he added. An official from the office of chief education officer confirmed that schools must display "no-smoking zone" banners/messages on their walls or around their premises to alert shops. None of the schools that TOI visited had any such warning. Headmaster in-charge of Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School, A Joseph, said steps were being taken to put up such warning messages on the school's compound wall.
Hans India
02-06-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Govt hikes tobacco fine to Rs 1,000
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has published a gazette notification increasing the fine for public use of cigarettes and tobacco products from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000. The government has also raised the minimum legal age for purchasing cigarettes and tobacco products from 18 to 21 years, according to a statement issued by the Health Ministry on Saturday. Additionally, the government has banned the opening or operation of hookah bars across the state. The order has been issued in the name of the Governor by the Secretary, Department of Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation, G. Sridhar. This decision follows the assent of President Droupadi Murmu on May 23 to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2024. The new Act amends the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (Central Act 34 of 2003) as it applies to the state of Karnataka. The amendment specifies that no person shall use tobacco products in any public place. The term 'use' includes both smoking and spitting of tobacco. The sale of cigarettes or other tobacco products is now prohibited: To any person under the age of 21 years; within a 100-meter radius of any educational institution; in loose form or as single sticks. The Act also states that no person shall open or operate a hookah bar, either individually or on behalf of another person, in any location—including eating houses, pubs, bars, or restaurants—regardless of what they are called. According to the new provisions, anyone who violates Section 4A of the Act shall be punishable with: Imprisonment of not less than one year, which may extend up to three years; a fine of not less than Rs 50,000, which may go up to Rs 1 lakh. The Act further allows that in hotels with 30 or more rooms, restaurants with a seating capacity of 30 or more, and at airports, a designated smoking area or space may be provided. Karnataka joins the league of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Gujarat states, which have implemented similar amendments to strengthen public health protections against tobacco use.
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Karnataka tightens COTPA rules; penalty for violations, legal age for purchasing tobacco products raised
Tightening tobacco control laws, the Karnataka government has notified major amendments to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day observed on May 31. The amendments —through which the maximum fine for violations under tobacco control laws has been increased from ₹200 to ₹1,000 and the legal age for purchasing tobacco products has been raised from 18 to 20 years— were approved by President Droupadi Murmu on May 23. The amended Act — the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Karnataka Amendment) Act, 2024 — was published in the Karnataka Gazette on May 30. In addition to the existing ban on tobacco consumption in public places, chewing and spitting tobacco has also been prohibited. The other key amendments include a ban on the sale of loose cigarettes or single sticks and strict prohibition on the sale of tobacco products within 100 metres of any educational institution. This was earlier within 100 yards. Hookah bars The State has also imposed a blanket ban on hookah bars, regardless of whether they are located in restaurants, pubs, or cafes. As per the newly added Section 4A, operating a hookah bar will now invite imprisonment of one to three years and fines ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh under Section 21A of the Act. Despite an earlier ban, hookah bars were still found operating illegally in parts of Bengaluru. While designated smoking areas (DSAs) will still be allowed in hotels with over 30 rooms, restaurants with seating for more than 30 and airports, penalties for violations have increased from ₹ 200 to ₹ 1,000 under sections 21, 24, and 28. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said these amendments are part of the State government's larger strategy to safeguard public health, particularly in the younger generation in sensitive areas like schools and colleges. Stringent enforcement Surgical oncologist U.S. Vishal Rao, who is a member of the State government's High-Powered Committee on Tobacco Control, said the amendments are a significant step in the effort towards achieving tobacco control in Karnataka. 'We have known that as per data from the latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) for India, there has been a reduction in the number of tobacco users by about 81 lakh. Specifically, the prevalence of tobacco use among adults aged 15 and above has reduced by 7%. The amended Act makes enforcement more stringent, reducing the accessibility of these products to youth who are the main targets of the tobacco companies for initiating addiction,' Dr Rao told The Hindu. Following the amendments, the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda has appealed to all proprietors of hotels, bars, restaurants, clubs and pubs to remove illegal designated smoking areas (DSAs) or rooms which are not compliant with COTPA rules. 'DSAs must be distinctly marked and adequately ventilated as per the COTPA guidelines to ensure non-smokers are not exposed to second-hand smoke. It is imperative to note that providing of food, water, beverages, or any tobacco products within DSAs is strictly prohibited,' stated the appeal dated May 31. EOM/
