Overview

• The amendment received presidential assent on May 23 and was gazetted on May 30, 2025, triggering immediate enforcement across Karnataka.
• Legal purchase age for cigarettes and other tobacco products has risen from 18 to 21, with sales banned within a 100-meter radius of educational institutions.
• Hookah bars are now outlawed in all public venues, and operating one can lead to one to three years in prison plus fines between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh.
• Selling loose cigarettes or single sticks is prohibited under the new rules to limit easy access for minors.
• Fines for smoking or spitting tobacco in public places have increased from ₹200 to ₹1,000, while designated smoking areas are restricted to large hotels, select restaurants and airports.