Police confiscate shisha items in Aweil Town

By Hou Akot Hou

Police stormed shisha selling shops on Monday in Aweil town and confiscated shisha pots in a crackdown meant to discourage smoking of the potent product.

The operation led by Philip Madut Tong, the Police Commissioner and Zechariak Dut Mou the Aweil Town Mayor was ordered by the Northern Bahr El Ghazal State government.

“Our people never abide by the orders that the government issue out. The smoking of the tobacco from the water-pipe is unhealthy. The smoker can develop diseases resulting from this shisha,” Madut told journalists in Aweil town.

A hookah, shisha, or waterpipe is a single- or multi-stemmed instrument for heating or vaporizing and then smoking tobacco, flavored tobacco, or sometimes cannabis, hashish and opium. The smoke is passed through a water basin—often glass-based—before inhalation.

Authorities in Aweil town last year banned hookah or shisha.

On his part, the town mayor Zecharia Dut Mou urges the public to desist from trading Shisha as it is not the only means of survival.

“There are other means of survival, open any petty business and you can do well for a living. There are other survival strategies, even selling groundnuts or having a tea shop is better. We are working to protect you from inhaling smoke which can give you diseases,” Zecharia Dut said.

Dut said those who resist the ban on shishs will be fined 500,000 South Sudanese Pounds.