Enforce ban on Shisha, minister urges police, others

A Shisha pipe

ABUJA –  The Minister of Health,  Prof. Isaac Adewole, has called on the police and other relevant  government agencies to immediately implement  the ban on flavoured tobacco products including Shisha.

Adewole stated this while briefing journalists in his office to commemorate  the 2018 World No- Tobacco Day, describing shisha smoking as a way of smoking tobacco, sometimes mixed with fruit or molasses sugar, through a bowl and hose or tube.

According to the minister,  most of the flavoured tobacco are targeted at the youths and are as dangerous as cigarettes.

“Let me stress that the ban on tobacco products with characterising flavours is still in place and the ban includes shisha because it has flavour. I, therefore, urge the Consumer Protection Council and the law enforcement agencies to intensify arrest of defaulters.”, he said.

The Director-General of the Consumer Protection Council,  Babatunde Irukera, said a committee had been set up to look into the issue of Shisha and other matters and further recommendations would be made soon.

He said:  “Recently, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria which is responsible for creating the national industrial standard, convened a technical committee meeting with respect to the tobacco standard and the subject of shisha was discussed like any other tobacco product.

“Recently, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria which is responsible for creating the national industrial standard, convened a technical committee meeting with respect to the tobacco standard and the subject of shisha was discussed like any other tobacco product.

“The new industry standards are undergoing the process now so it is not an illegal product now but soon the SON will come up with what the final standard will be,” he said.