Dim lights, soothing music, lit up charcoal, puffed out smokes from the water pipe and an assortment of flavours from mint to chocolate. Until three years ago, hookahs were a rage among the youth. After the ban, the culture has died. However, with the new Supreme Court ruling, hookah is going to be a part of the urban culture again. To this, the reactions are mixed. The restaurants and parlours are going to cash in on the ruling. Restaurant manager of Sheesha Sky Lounge in Bandra, Mohammed Siddiqui, said, "Once we get a clear communication from the government, we will restart hookah sale. We had stopped it three years ago. There is a demand for hookahs in our space, as a lot of youngsters frequent the place." For youngsters, the move is favourable as it might reduce the number of people consuming cigarettes.
Anagha Deodhar, a 31-year-old finance consultant, said, "Cigarettes are more harmful than hookah. So if cigarettes are freely available, why ban hookah? As long as proper safeguards are maintained, I think lifting the ban is a good decision. It might just reduce the number of smokers."
For many others, it is just another excuse to hang out with friends. Tejal Howard, a fitness expert, said, "I'm glad. Now I can take my family to a nice hookah bar when they come down from London. We won't have to deal with sudden showdown from the cops and the restaurant staff frantically running around to conceal the hookahs. It's as good as a drink and a good way to rejuvenate once in a while." However, there are some who feel that the ban was uncalled for in the first place. As Saima Mahajan, an airline professional, said, "The health implications of cigarettes, be it passive or active, has been more serious than hookah consumption. I have not been able to understand why hookahs were banned. It's another one of those recreational activities which should not be discouraged." Meanwhile, there are a few who feel that the move will take smoking to a new level. Rishab Mehta, a software engineer, said, "Those who smoke cigarettes will continue smoking and with hookah ban lift, they will be consuming hookahs as well. Besides, even the non-smokers will get hooked to hookahs. I think it will only deteriorate health further."
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