Despite ban, shisha still highly consumed in the country

The consumption of hookah or the water pipe popularly known as shisha in most night clubs and snack bars across the country is still very common despite the ban put in place by authorities.

Passing along one of the most popular snack bars in Bastos Yaounde, one can’t help but notice the piles of water pipes exhibited outside with people mostly youths consuming the now prohibited substance.

Several persons have said they still consume it because it’s trendy and others admit they are already addicted to it and can no longer stop.

“All my friends take shisha. When we go out you see everybody taking it so I have to follow them. Shisha is good especially with the fruit flavours,”Glory, a fervent consumer of the water pipe says.

To another, Emmanuel Mayele, it builds his confidence and he prefers taking it over smoking cigarettes:

“I like taking shisha and I think I’m already addicted to it because there’s no day that I go clubbing and I don’t consume it. It makes me feel well.”

It should be recalled that in March 2022, the ministry of public health prohibited and banned the importation, manufacturing, advertising, sale and consumption of shisha across the national territory.

The minister of territorial administration, Paul Atanga Nji, shortly after ordered Governors in all ten regions of the country to enforce government’s decision on the ban in various bars and clubs.

The ban came shortly after a study revealed the substance is dangerous for human health.

Health officials indicated that 46% of young people in Cameroon smoke the substance which is a mixture of tobacco, molasses glycerine and flavoring.

They say tobacco which is one of the main ingredients in shisha is the main cause of four main types of non communicable disease such as heart attacks, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.

Despite the caution, most shisha consumers still believe that shisha posses no harmful threats to their health and thus continue consuming it.