The government of Rwanda has announced a ban on the smoking of shisha which is a water-pipe tobacco.
The ban takes effect from Friday, according to a statement released by the country’s health minister Diane Gashumba.
Rwanda now joins Tanzania as the only African countries to have banned Shisha smoking.
The Rwandan health ministry statement said the decision was taken following an advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that found shisha smoking “damaging, addictive and dangerous”.
Offenders would face sanctions according to the statement which said the ban is to protect the health of Rwandans.
Shisha smoking is an emerging trend of smoking which has become popular among young Africans.
There have been reactions to this decision on social media.
According to that, it sounds dangerous! So it’s legal to smoke 100 cigarettes but not shisha for 40-60 mins!? double standards.. ??
If we are looking out for the health of the public then we should ban cigarettes as well. https://t.co/AsOhhBqk5u— Mico (@Marco_Mico) December 15, 2017
Why doing things half,and not also ban #cigarettes huh? It also contains the same toxic stuff that can cause cancer same as #shisha ,apart they don’t pay the same taxes maybe.Just saying…? https://t.co/FfvFlGPdB1
— Bruce (@Bruce_Rukundo) December 15, 2017
In Kenya you can’t ban Shisha……….you risk the wrath of more than 3million slay queens.
— Eric Erikkson. (@kongoi8) December 15, 2017
Source: Africafeeds.com
