05/08/2020
Delhi has become the first in India to ban the use of ho**ahs, with or without to***co, at all public places, including hotels, restaurants and bars.
The Delhi Government order banned the use of ho**ahs, with immediate effect to control the spread of COVID-19.
“Smokers are likely to be more vulnerable as smoking means the fingers are in contact with the lips, which increases the possibility of transmission of the virus,” the health department said in an order.
Smokers might also have lung diseases or reduced lung capacity, which could increase the risk of serious illness, it added. Smoking products, such as water pipes, often involve sharing of mouthpieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of COVID in communal and social settings, the health department said.
“Therefore, the use and sharing of ho**ah, with or without to***co (herbal ho**ah) is strictly prohibited at all public places with immediate effect,” it added.
Recently there was an incident in Jind, Haryana where a man who had returned from Gurugram after attending a wedding smoked ho**ah with his friends in the village.
Now 24 of them including the youth have tested positive for COVID-19 prompting authorities to seal the village of Shadipur in Julana.