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As a result of our persistent efforts, BMC serves showcause notices on hookah parlours in Borivli
Today the 28th April 2011’s Times of India carried the news on page 7 as reported by Viju B, TNN

Mumbai: The civic administration has issued showcause notices to nine restaurants and eateries in Borivli for serving hookahs in non-smoking zones. Civic officials said that these restaurants violated not only the Shop and Establishment Act, which does not permit them to serve hookahs, but also flouted the Tobacco Control Act by allowing consumption of tobacco in a public place.

“Customers who do not smoke too become passive smokers at hookah parlours. We will take strict action against all the hookah parlours and cancel their licences if they do not remove hookahs from their eateries,” Dr Gourish Ambe, executive health officer, Brihanumbai Muncipal Corporation (BMC), said.
The administration had so far prosecuted 46 hookah parlours and penalties were levied upon them, Ambe added. “The Tobacco Control Act says if an eatery has a seating capacity of more than 36, then a separate smoking zone can be provided. Even for this facility, approval should be taken from the local administration,” he added.
Link Road residents who have been fighting against the hookah menace in their neighbourhood said that youngsters are drawn into this vice and get hooked. “At some hookah parlours, even drugs are provided. For a one-hour hookah session, they spend over Rs 400. There have been cases where children stole their parents’ hard earned money,” said Harish Pandey, member of New Link Road Citizens’ Forum, which filed several complaints against hookah parlours in Borivli.

Pandey said a majority of the hookah parlours have extended their premises illegally and have 10 to 12 hookahs ready for customers at any given time. “We have also informed the local police,” he said.
There are around five hookah parlours operating on the Link Road, Pandey said. “One parlour is located on a mangrove patch, violating the costal regulation zone norms,” he added. “One hookah parlour on which a showcause notice has been served is run by the brother of the local corporator,” Pandey said.
Dr Ravikant Singh, president of Doctors for You, an NGO which has carried out studies on the adverse affects of tobacco, said that many teenage girls are addicted to hookah, thinking that the flavoured version does not have any side-effects. “The hookah smoke contains many carcinogens. There should be a permanent ban on these parlours,” he said.

SMOKE ALARM: Borivli residents claim that these restaurants and eateries in the area keep 10-12 hookahs ready for customers at any given time and one of the parlours has even violated CRZ norms