Lagos govt suspends five female pupils smoking shisha

The Lagos State Government has suspended five female pupils of the Oreyo Senior Grammar School, Igbogbo in the Ikorodu area of the state, who were seen on viral video smoking “Shisha” while in school uniform.

Shisha is a practice of smoking tobacco through a bowl or a tube.

The government, through the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth and Social Development, said it had also sent the girls on rehabilitation.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed the suspension of the pupils when contacted.

She said: “Appropriate steps are being taken to address the issue with the aim of preventing future occurrence in the state.

“The appropriate ministry is already intervening. You see why the role of parents is so critical. We can’t leave everything to government and school. This is heart wrenching.”

Shisha smoking is a way of inhaling tobacco, sometimes mixed with fruit or molasses sugar, through the mouthpiece of a bowl hose or tube1.

Although the practice of shisha smoking started in the Middle East, it has spread to several other parts of the world, including Nigeria.

In Nigeria, the prevalence rate of shisha smoking, especially among the youth, is rising, making it an issue of public health concern.

The rising prevalence of shisha smoking in Nigeria can be attributed to the increase in the openings of new shisha lounges/bars, subtle advertisement of shisha in public places, social acceptance of shisha smoking, peer influence, and public misconceptions about the safety profile of shisha use.

In a recent study conducted in Ibadan, Oyo State, 633 patrons of selected nightclubs were interviewed to obtain information on prevalence, correlates, and predictors of shisha smoking. The results showed overall prevalence of shisha smoking as 7.1 per cent. There was no significant gender variability in the state of readiness to quit.