Nowadays, whenever you hang out around major streets in Kano city at sunset or dusk, the glimpse of a large number of youths puffing thick plumes of smoke from shisha joints is certainly obvious.
This act of smoking has eaten so deep into the society that few youths are left out of it.
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The smoking of shisha in the metropolis is spreading among the youth like a hurricane.
In fact, this is the emerging trend or pastime now posing a serious threat to our already beleaguered society.
Shisha is a form of tobacco that originated from Persia (present-day Iran), India and parts of Arab countries many centuries ago.
The habit later spread to many countries such as Saudi Arabia, the Maghreb, Southeast Asia and West African countries among others.
It comes in various flavours including apple, cappuccino, gum with mint, strawberries, grapes and grapes. These flavours have various degrees of intoxication.
Today, Kano State is among the states in the country with the largest number of people that smoke shisha.
It is being abused as it is now laced with many types of narcotics such as marijuana, syrup, tramadol and codeine.
The majority of the shisha addicts are within the range of 13 – 50 years.
They smoke it just for fun while others do that to imitate celebrities.
There are some who are already addicted to it.
The practice has also gone into our campuses as many students now own shisha paraphernalia that can be used anywhere instead of patronising commercial shisha joints..
A dangerous trend nowadays is that females are trying to outnumber males in the habit of smoking shisha.
They compete with one another on campuses, at night clubs or any shisha hub.
This practice has penetrated even our homes as married women have started finding it attractive.
Smoking, of whatever kind, is a dangerous habit and should be discouraged in order to safeguard the health of the society at large.
Medical experts also said shisha has some negative impacts on the smoker’s health as it can cause lung cancer.
The sharing of shisha pipes at cafes and centres is also a risk factor that can increase the prevalence of infectious diseases.
It also reduces the life span and causes different diseases when mixed with illicit drugs.
It is imperative for parents and guardians to make sure that their wards are shielded from the dangerous act of shisha smoking.
Keen attention should be given to them by watching closely the types of friends they keep and associate with.
The government should enact a strict regulation on its importation and if possible, ban it.
It should also work hand-in-hand with NDLEA and other relevant agencies to curb such immoral acts of shisha smoking and other vices in the society.
Finally, our mosques and churches need to continue to strongly preach against all negative habits in the society especially among the youths who are the future leaders and encourage skills acquisition and other positive traits.
Usman Usman Garba
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