Chandigarh, May 31
Ajay Jagga, Advocate and Member, Rogi Kalyan Samiti, UT Chandigarh in a letter to Banwari Lal Purohit, Administrator, UT has urged the administration to make the efforts to stop the consumption of nicotine (apart from other drugs and dangerous substances) in any way/shape and said it should be expedited in city and the first step should be to stop HOOKAHs in city.
The samples of the substances be taken, sent to CFSL and action should be taken under COTPA and as per Poison Rules, if nicotine is found, said Jagga.
If the youth/students are to be saved from intoxication, then emergent steps must be taken. The neighboring state of Punjab has already banned the Hookah Bars by way of an enactment i. e Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018, he said in the letter.
“In case the steps are not taken, the people will be coming to Chandigarh for Hookahs, which will further aggravate the problem of intoxication among youth”, Jagga said.
Hence he requested for working out a permanent solution/ban on the consumption of nicotine (apart from other drugs and dangerous substances) in any way/shape in UT Chandigarh.