CHENNAI: The City Health Department of the Chennai Corporation recently ordered the closure of four hookah lounges that functioned illegally in posh Nungambakkam and brought an estimated 20 more such illegal lounges under its scanner after reports of rampant use of drugs there.According to civic body sources, the decision to close the joints was taken on two counts -one, flouting the government ban on smoking in public places; and two, they had license only to run a restaurant, food court or coffee joints.Food inspectors of the City Health Department have also collected samples of substances used at those four hookah lounges for detailed lab analysis.“We deem the 25-odd hookah lounges in the city limit as illegal as the civic body never issued licenses for them per se. The licenses they obtained were meant for running either restaurants or coffee shops only,” a senior official of the Corporation told Express.Though there was no official word on what actually led to the crackdown, it was reliably learnt that rampant use of drugs, such as marijuana and hashish, was the trigger.According to a regular visitor to one of the hookah lounges in the city, the per hour charge is between Rs 300 and Rs 400. Drugs are provided on the pretext of offering different flavours to enhance pleasure.The lounges have a young clientele. College students and IT professionals, including a considerable number of girls, are regulars, sources said.“If the samples lifted from those four lounges are found to contain drugs, their (restaurant or coffee shop) licenses would be revoked immediately under the Madras City Municipal Corporation Act -1919,” civic body sources said.
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