Kenya becomes the third country in Africa to ban shisha smoking after Rwanda imposed the ban recently.
Health CS Cleopa Mailu in a gazette notice issued on Thursday:
“No person shall import, manufacture, sell, offer for sale, use, advertise, promote or distribute shisha in Kenya.
No person shall allow, promote, facilitate or encourage, or do anything to allow, promote, facilitate or encourage shisha smoking in Kenya.”
According to the CS, any person who contravenes any provision of the rules will be prosecuted. Those who flout the rules will face a fine not exceeding Sh50,000 or imprisonment for not more than 6 months.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that smoking shisha posed grave health risks to users.
“Cigarette smokers typically take eight to 12 cigarettes with a 40 to 75 millimetre puffs and inhaled 0.5 to 0.6 litres of smoke unlike shisha smoking sessions which typically last 20 to 80 minutes, during which the smoker may take 50 to 200 puffs which range from about 0.15 to 1 litre each,” it said.
Smoking tobacco damages one’s heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular system), increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. It’s a major cause of coronary heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack.
