Rwanda bans water-pipe tobacco smoking, importation

KIGALI, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda has announced a total ban on importation and smoking of water-pipe tobacco popularly known as shisha.

The use, advertisement and import of water-pipe tobacco is banned on Rwandan territory effective Dec. 15, 2017, said a statement issued Thursday by Ministry of Health of Rwanda.

The ban was in line with the World Health Organization tobacco guidelines underlining smoking health effects such as being damaging, addictive and dangerous on human lives, said the statement.

Failure to comply with the directive would attract sanctions as provided by the country's laws, it said.

The smoke that emerges from the water-pipe is said to contain numerous toxicants known to cause lung cancer and other heart disease, according to the ministry of health.

The ban comes about a decade after the ministry banned public cigarette smoking. The ban on public cigarette smoking applies to smoking in bars, restaurants, night clubs and work places. Enditem