Karnataka hikes fine for public tobacco use to Rs 1,000; buyers must be 21 years

Karnataka hikes fine for public tobacco use to Rs 1,000; buyers must be 21 years

mangaloretoday.com

Bengaluru, May 31, 2025: The Karnataka government on Friday completely banned hookah bars, raised the legal age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21 years, and increased the maximum fine for violations under tobacco control laws from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000.

A government order notifying the changes was issued on Friday, after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Karnataka-specific amendment to the central tobacco control law on May 23.

The revised law — 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.

Fine for public tobacco use hiked to Rs 1,000

The amendment applies to the Central COTPA Act, 2003 and makes it more stringent in its application within Karnataka. Under the new provisions, Section 4 of the Act has been replaced to state that the “use” of tobacco products — including smoking and spitting — is prohibited in any public place.
However, the law clarifies that in hotels with 30 or more rooms, restaurants with a seating capacity of 30 or more, and in airports, a designated smoking area may be provided.

The state has introduced a new Section 4A that bans the opening or running of hookah bars anywhere in Karnataka. Section 6 of the Act has also been substituted. The sale of cigarettes or other tobacco products is now prohibited to anyone under 21 years of age. The fine for violations is now Rs 1,000.