The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has maintained that water pipe tobacco smoking, popularly known as ‘shisha’, is illegal in Ghana.
Head of Communications at the FDA, Rhoda Appiah, told Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM that it is illegal to smoke the product in Ghana.
The FDA previously reminded the general public that Shisha Product (hookah, water pipe tobacco) is a type of tobacco product and, as such, must be registered with the FDA under sections 14 and 5 of the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2247).
Rhoda Appiah reiterated that Shisha or any other tobacco products cannot be imported, manufactured or sold in Ghana unless they have been duly registered by the FDA.
She advised that smoking Shisha in one sitting is equivalent to smoking 200 sticks of cigarettes.
According to her, the law mandates the FDA to confiscate and safely dispose of Shisha or tobacco products imported or found on the market without prior market authorization or registration at the cost of the importer or dealer.
She told the news team that the authority has, over the years, embarked on a series of public education campaigns on the dangers associated with the product.
The FDA recently voiced alarm over the growing use of shisha among senior high school students.
The FDA says that the usage of other types of narcotics is also on the rise, posing a huge threat to the future of the young people involved.
“Smoking shisha, or inhaling flavoured tobacco through a water pipe, includes nicotine and can lead to addiction. There is sufficient evidence to show that shisha smoking can be just as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. Being addicted to this can harm your internal organs. That is why the FDA has collaborated with other groups to educate our youth about the dangers of smoking Shisha.”
She further reminded the public that registered tobacco products cannot be advertised or promoted.
This is in clear violation of sections 59 and 61 of Part 6 of the Public Health Act, 2012, Act 851.
“As an Authority, we will continue to crack down on those who break the law and deal with them in accordance with the law. Shisha and other tobacco products cannot be imported, manufactured, or marketed in Ghana unless they have been properly registered with the FDA. We continue to perform surveillance and monitoring to assist clamp down on individuals who violate the law.”
The FDA, she stressed, will keep raising awareness to educate not just the youth but the general public on the risks involved in drug abuse.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
