WHO condemns shisha smoking

By Andile Tshuma

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has condemned the smoking of shisha, which has become a hit in Bulawayo’s night spots.A shisha is an oriental tobacco pipe with a long, flexible tube which draws smoke through water contained in a bowl.

According to research carried out by WHO, the volume of smoke inhaled in an hour-long shisha session is estimated to be the equivalent to smoking between 100 and 200 cigarettes.

Speaking at the 17TH World Conference on Tobacco held in South Africa last Friday, philanthropist and World Health Organisation Global Ambassador Michael Bloomberg urged countries to put in place policies that stop the use of tobacco smoking and unregulated distribution of shishas.

Mr Bloomberg referred to a WHO paper on the dangers of shisha or water pipe smoking which has been grossly marketed as a cleaner and safer alternative to cigarette smoking.

He said the study proved that that water pipe smoking was in no way safer than cigarette smoking.

“Using a water pipe to smoke tobacco poses a serious health hazard to smokers and others exposed to smoke emitted. According to the findings, a typical one hour long water pipe smoking session involves inhaling 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhales with a single cigarette,” he said.Mr Bloomberg said another overlooked risk was in the sharing of the water pipe mouthpiece, which posed a serious threat of contracting communicable diseases such as hepatitis and tuberculosis.

Shisha smoking is becoming popular in Bulawayo, with a number of Shisha lounges opening across the city at various popular night spots.

A Bulawayo man, Mr Takudzwa Mandizvidza, who is a patron at a local night spot, said he prefers the Shisha as it does not leave him with a stench of cigarette smoke.

“It’s classic, friendly to people around me. I’m not sure whether it’s harmful for my lungs or not but I have heard that it could cause cancer,” said Mr Mandizvidza.

The Shisha is also popular amongst suburban youths and has been a common feature at the infamous Vuzu parties held by high school pupils.

The Shisha is sometimes referred to as the hooker and originates from the Middle East.

The Shisha craze in Zimbabwe originated in Harare and has spread to other cities. An online search shows that it is offered in over 20 pubs and restaurants, often referred to as Shisha lounges. An upmarket pub in Harare’s CBD offers over 60 flavours of the shisha, more popularly referred to as bubbly bubbly or hookah in the capital.

The first known official Shisha stockist opened doors for business in 2016 in Harare.

However, before that the water pipe was smuggled into the country by cross border traders. Shisha pipe prices range from $35 up to $200 according to a city survey.

WHO recommended that water pipes and the water pipe tobacco should be subjected to the same regulations as cigarettes and other tobacco products.

“Education of health professionals, regulators and the public is urgently needed about the risks of waterpipe smoking including high potential levels of second hand exposure among children, pregnant women and others,” said Mr Bloomberg.

The organisation also recommended that misleading labels which implied safety of water pipes must be prohibited.

Latest statistics presented at the WHO conference revealed that over seven million people die annually from tobacco use and the majority of deaths are from low to middle income countries. The Chronicle