OVER 30 ARRESTED FOR SMOKING SHISHA IN KAMPALA

At least 38 people have been arrested in Kampala following an anti-tobacco operation that was carried out around the city on Sunday evening.

The joint operation by the Ministry of Health, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the Uganda Police was aimed at clamping down on the increasing selling and smoking of Shisha in the country.

Police raided Icon Bar, Caesar’s Lounge, Hot Spa, Melley Impala Hotel and Hive Terrace and Lounge where they arrested the suspects and impounded over 130 shisha pots.

The suspected were detained at Jinja Road Police station and Central Police Station before they were arraigned before court.

According to the Tabacco Control Act, it is illegal for anyone to import, manufacture, distribute, be in possession and or sale of water pipe tobacco commonly referred to as Shisha in Uganda.

A person convicted of smoking or selling tobacco in a public area is liable to a jail term not less than one year or a fine of UGX 480,000 or both.

The owner of the bar in which the tobacco was smoked can be fined Shs20m and his or her licence be suspended for at least six months.

Dr Hafsa Lukwata, the acting assistant commissioner for mental health and control of substance abuse at the ministry of health said more of these operations are to be carried in the city and other urban areas.

“Shisha is very dangerous just like any other tobacco product. It is a major cause of infertility that we are suffering lately among young people but also having children with defects because of Shisha. We are seeing many neonates going to incubators and ICU because of tobacco,” Lukwata said.

Lukwata said reducing tobacco consumption is a key catalyst towards realizing the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

The operation also comes at a time when Uganda is joining the rest of the world to mark the World No Tobacco Day.

This day is marked on 31 May every year, to raise awareness of the negative health, social, economic and environmental impacts of tobacco production and use.

This year’s theme is “Tobacco: Threat to our environment”,

“We are going to conduct more impromptu operations and arrest more people. We need to save our young girls who are always smoking shisha. Bar owners should take responsibility and stop selling shisha,” Lukwata said

She called on KCCA to start suspending the licenses of the bar owners who break the law to ensure the law is respected.

The World Health Organization says on average 37 people in Uganda die every day due to tobacco-related illness such as lung cancer.

Some Ugandans have called for stringent measures to be implemented by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to stop the importation of shisha.

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