Authorities of Aweil town ban Shisha smoking

By Hou Akot Hou

Authorities in Aweil town of Northern Bahr El Ghazal state on Thursday banned shisha smoking.

Security personnel were seen raiding popular shisha points confiscating the materials and pipes.

This follows an order from Governor Tong Aken Ngor during the official launch of cleaning campaign in Aweil town.

Deng Marial Chok, who sells Shisha at Sikadit area in Aweil town, said his only source of income has been disrupted wondering where he will get money from for feeding his family.

“What do they think we shall count on? They have come and ordered me to close for good, and I am badly worried of what my family will eat,” said Chok.

Governor Ngor said shisha smoking is a health threat to lives of people.

 “I don’t want to see people flocking to the zones of shisha. This goes to all the people across the state not only in Aweil town,” said Ngor.

He also banned the use of polythene bags in the state.

“I want also to reiterate that the polythene bags are harmful to the environment. You can see that if the livestock eats the polythene bags they can’t live longer as the digestive system is weakened by that and it results in deaths of animals,” said Ngor.

Shisha is smoking a heated, specially prepared tobacco through a pipe. It can increase your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.

Shisha is also called hookah, narghile, waterpipe, or hubble bubble.

The municipal authorities are now busy implementing the Governor’s order in the state.