According to the Citizen newspaper in Tanzania, authorities in Zanzibar are planning to prohibit the import and consumption of shisha and e-cigarettes. However, shisha is very popular in tourist destinations and restaurants, and the ban could result in significant revenue losses.
The Minister of the Office of the President, Regional Management Agencies, and Local Government Departments in Zanzibar, Masoud Ali Mohammed, announced in a public statement that the government will soon issue a special directive.
The consumption of hookah and e-cigarettes has become commonplace, and we will be implementing specific regulations to govern those individuals who have obtained special import and sales permits for hookah or e-cigarettes.
This ban will also affect current importers, who are advised not to make any further purchases and instead to contact the authorities for new instructions.
The minister stated that importers will be required to cease ordering additional products once existing inventory is depleted, in compliance with a new law that the government is soon to enact.
According to a hotel operator in Zanzibar, shisha is very popular in tourist resorts and restaurants, and a ban could result in significant revenue loss.
This is not Tanzania's first implementation of a ban. Paul Makonda, the administrative commissioner of Dar es Salaam, previously issued a ban on hookah smoking throughout the city.
As of April 2021, around 500 shisha containers were still stranded at the port of Dar es Salaam. However, the ban was later lifted and now shisha has made a comeback in most bars in Tanzania.
Reference: [1] Zanzibar plans to prohibit the use of Shisha and E-cigarettes.
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