Hold that puff

Aubaid Manzar,a regular at hookah bars,says it’s a bit tough to let go of the habit but in the interest of safety,he is complying. “I guess I have no choice now other than to comply; it’s better to resist for a while than be beset with swine flu,” he says. “Plus,as the hookah joints are closing down,we have no other option,” adds Manzar.

Rahul Jain,owner of The Leather Lounge,Camp says,“Although we don’t serve hookah but the Cantonment Board has ordered every pub and restaurant in the area to remain closed atleast until August 16 and we are complying with the rules.” Shyam Mohan,manager of Thousand Oaks,East Street,says,“Thousand Oaks does not have a hookah bar but we close daily at 9 pm as that is the latest the governing officials are allowing us to operate till. We ensure that each one of our customers wears a mask.”

Another worry among regular at dedicated hookah bars or restaurants which serve hookah is the fact that even if they don’t share the hookah,restaurants and pubs are high-risk zones where it’s easy to contract the illness. “Most restaurants are fully air-conditioned and tables are located in close proximity. Even if someone so much as sneezes,it can become a potentially dangerous situation,” says Bashir Hussain,an MBA student. “Plus,there’s also the fear of sharing the same crockery and cutlery,that infected people may have used in the past,” he adds.

So,although the public hookah bars and outlets have downed their shutters,atleast for the next few days,it’s a safe bet to keep social gatherings and interaction at a bare minimum. If you do want that puff,ensure that it’s totally safe and only limited to single person use.