简体中文
Cambodia on Wednesday issued a directive, banning the use and import of shisha and e-cigarettes, which are flavored tobacco popular in the Middle East.
"With the approval from Prime Minister Hun Sen, the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) would like to instruct all anti-drug officials and local authorities to take immediate action to stop the use and sale of shisha and e-cigarettes in all images and have to seize those products from businesses," said the directive signed by Deputy Prime Minister and NACD's Chairman Ke Kim Yan.
"Importing and trading shisha and e-cigarettes are prohibited," the directive said.
The ban came after the NACD has observed that, in recent months, the business of importing and selling shisha and e-cigarette has spread rapidly in Cambodia, especially in capital Phnom Penh and some provinces, it said, adding that such products are very attractive to young people.
"This issue has caused reaction and dissatisfaction from local authorities, law enforcement officers and the public, particularly parents and guardians," the directive said. "The public thinks that shisha and e-cigarettes are new types of drugs that are stupefying the feeling of Khmer youth."
The directive said that the NACD had tested shisha and e- cigarette samples and found that they were not addictive substances stated in the law on anti-drugs, but they contained high level of nicotine that could cause more serious impact on health than cigarettes.
Shisha, typically smoked in cafes through a communal water pipe, originated in the Middle East, but has gained in popularity in much of the world, including Cambodia.
According to a report by the World Health Organization, shisha carries the same risks as any tobacco product, but since smoking sessions typically last longer, the volume of smoke inhaled can be 20 times that of a cigarette.
