HEALTH MINISTRY SUGGESTS RESTRICTING HOOKAH USE – VICE MINISTER

The Kazakh Ministry of Health supports the proposal of the National Center for Healthy Lifestyle to restrict the use of hookahs.

“The Center (for Healthy Lifestyle – Interfax-Kazakhstan) has come up with a proposition only to allow the use of hookahs, with or without tobacco leaves (nicotine), in special designated areas, which have to comply with the applicable standards and requirements,” Health Vice Minister Yelzhan Birtanov told the readers of the newspaper Vremya during an online conference, the script of which was published on January 27.

According to him, the easy-to-get hookah smoking is in conflict with the Health Code, which significantly restricts tobacco smoking in public areas, as the mixtures used in hookahs nearly always contain tobacco.

The vice minister reminded that starting January 21 this year Kazakhstan banned import and use of smoking herb mixtures such as "Genie", "Smoke relaxes your mind," "Rush," "Damiana chocolate," "Effya" and "Spice” because they contain psychotropic substances with a similar effect as tetrahydrocannabinol.

As reported, in October last year Kazakhstan introduced a new law restricting tobacco smoking, which is today only allowed outside the building or in home.

Kazakhstan in Focus #4