Nairobi Health Committee Raises Alarm Over Increased Use of Shisha,Vape
Nairobi MCAs have called on the county government to Shut down businesses that are operating shisha and vype smocking dens in the county.
The county legislators say that the middle to upper-class regions have recorded increased use of Shisha despite a ban in 2017.
The chairman of the Nairobi Health Committee Mourice Ochieng, waho is also Mountain View MCA, is now petitioning Governor Johnson Sakaja to strengthen the regulatory framework in the county to deal with theses outlets.
“We urge the governor to move with speed and close all the outlets mostly in Wetslands Kilimani, Lavington, milimani, langata and south C,” said Ochieng.
A recent study shows, cases of Shisha usage have also increased in the Country despite the substance receiving a ban in 2017 after Kenya joined Tanzania and Rwanda, becoming the third country in Africa to ban shisha.
Spot check across entertainment jointS in the city shows there has been a shift in smoking trends, with alternatives such as e-cigarettes coming into the market.
In an effort to tame the vice, early this year the National Treasury sought to stamp its foot on the ever-increasing nicotine addiction by changing the taxation regime for liquid nicotine from the current shillings per unit to an excise duty of Sh70 per milliliter.
In 2017, Kenya implemented a comprehensive ban on shisha, including the use, import, manufacture, sale, the offer of sale, advertising, promotion, distribution and encouraging or facilitating its use.
Those who break the rules can face a fine not exceeding Sh50,000 or imprisonment for not more than 6 months.
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in an advisory note to regulators revealed that smoking shisha posed grave health risks as shisha smokers in a single session would inhale the smoke of 100 or more cigarettes.
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