Uganda police force has started arresting revelers that are found smoking Shisha in local bars. Over the weekend, four people were arrested during the operations.
The officers also confiscated shisha pots in an anti-tobacco operation conducted jointly by Uganda national health consumers association under the ministry of health, and Uganda police force, in pursuit of implementation of the Tobacco control act 2015. The operation was carried out at Casablanca in Kampala.
Uganda loses 14,000 people annually due to tobacco misuse. The Tobacco Control Act 2015 put a ban on Shisha, Kubar, public smoking of cigarettes among other flavored tobacco products. It also banned production, sale and use of electronic cigarettes.
The law states that “any person found guilty is liable to imprisonment of a term not less than a year or pay a fine of 480,000 or both.
Police indicates that although the ongoing operations aim at bringing to book every bar that sells tobacco products, various bar owners decry selective raids listing a number or untouchable entertainment places and bars across the metropolitan area.
The suspects who were arrested in the Saturday raid are currently being held at Mukono police station waiting to be arraigned before courts of law on charges related to smoking shisha.
