Ghanaian health service alarmed by smoking of shisha among JHS girls | Health

The Department of Disease Prevention and Control in the Ghana Health Service is alarmed by the high rate of smoking among girls in junior high school.

Dr. Kyei Faried, head of the department, said the situation was worrisome, claiming that shisha was harmful to the health of smokers, especially women, and urged them to abandon the practice.

"Shisha contains tobacco and tobacco contains more than 70 toxic substances and nothing good in it," he said.

The latest poll shows that one in every 50 girls is attending shisha, said Dr. Faried, who called on all parties to join the fight against the use of all forms of tobacco.

Smoking shisha is a way of smoking tobacco in a bowl with an attached tube. The tube has a mouthpiece that the smoker uses to breathe smoke.

The trend originates in the Middle East and some parts of Asia, but has recently become more popular in Ghana with youth membership.

Dr. Kyei Faried said the Department of Disease Control is embarking on programs to end the use of all forms of tobacco.

He noted that Ghana had no future if one in 50 girls attended Shisha and therefore called pastors, imams, the media and all to join the campaign to quit.

Dr. Faried urged smokers to make a conscious effort to quit smoking by saying, "When we decide to quit, within one year, more than 70 poisonous substances will leave the bloodstream.