President clears bill banning hookah bars in Gujarat   
A bill banning hookah bars in Gujarat has been cleared by President Pranab Mukherjee, violation of which will attract a maximum fine of ?50,000 and a jail term of up to three years. ?Smoking a hookah is far more injurious to health than a cigarette. Our aim is to protect youth from this deadly addiction," a Gujarat Minister said.
Ahmedabad, Jul 3 (PTI) Running hookah bars in Gujarat will now draw a maximum jail term of three years with President Pranab Mukherjee giving his assent to a bill which proposes a complete ban on such joint in the state. Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja informed this in a statement. "The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution)(Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2017 had been passed by the Gujarat Assembly in February and sent to Governor O P Kohli," he said. "After giving his approval, the governor had sent the Bill to the president, who gave his assent recently. From now onwards, the state government will take strict action as per the new Act against those, who found to be running such hookah joints in the state," the minister said. 