Member of Parliament, Elma Dienda, told the National Assemby this week that she wants hubbly-bubblies to be completely banned in Namibia.
In parliament on Monday, Dienda said that hubbly-bubblies or hookah pipes are destroying the underaged youth.
“I saw a mother and her children sitting under a tree. I thought they were passing an asthma pump around when I saw the mother passing it to the child. I thought the whole family has asthma, not knowing that it was a hubbly-bubbly pipe,” she said.
It is not the first time that the topic has been raised in parliament. Last year, deputy health minister Esther Muinjangue explained to lawmakers that hookahs are already regulated under the Tobacco Controlled Products Act, but the need still remains to prevent the selling of these products to underage customers.
Muinjangue added that her ministry conducted awareness campaigns to make people aware of the consequences of hubbly-bubbly use through advertisements.
A hubbly-bubbly is smoked with flavoured tobacco.
Safety deputy minister Lucia Witbooi said in February that a motion was tabled in the National Assembly in 2017, which looked at the possibility of banning the use of hookah pipes in the country.
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