Zaheer Jhanda Tables Bill Banning Vape Pens In Parliament: “Saving Future Generations”

• First time legislator Zaheer Jhanda put the ministries of health and interior to task in parliament
• The MP asked why the ministries had not acted upon the wanton use of vapes among young people
• The flashy MP made the statement while tabling a motion to outlaw the use of vape pens in Kenya

Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda wants answers from the Ministry of Health over the mass use of shisha and vape.

What did Zaheer Jhanda say about vape pens?

Seeking a statement from the Interdepartmental Committee on Health at the National Assembly, Jhanda said the use of shisha and vape is widespread in entertainment joints across the country.

Jhanda warned that the vice's proliferation in rural towns was threatening the lives of the youth and enedagering the country's future.

"As a nation we must not allow our country to just be a smoking and drinking nation but a healthy and working nation. We must therefore as a nation make hard and unpopular decisions to save the future of the young generation," said Jhanda.

The MP noted that the ministry must make a hard decision to firmly address the issue by outright banning the importation, sale, consumption or distribution of shisha and vape pens.

He also demanded that the Ministry of Health provide an explanation as to what regulatory frameworks have allowed shisha and vape smoking in this country, what steps is the ministry taking in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior to ensure that shisha and vape are not readily available to our young people.

The MP’s position is supported by a section of concerned netizens:

Voltpress:

"What I have been saying all along, for them to ban shisha they will be forced to ban cigarettes as well they are all tobacco."

Keith:

“If they ban shisha they should also ban tobacco, cigarettes and alcohol."

Rodgers Isabwa:

"Such policy decisions must be guided by well researched scientific findings, not rumours."

Cornelius K. Ronoh:

"I support the ban on shisha because young people, especially women, have misused it. Shisha is not beneficial, and it's time we acknowledge that."

Why does Zaheer Jhanda want vape pen ban?

Speaking on April 13, 2024, soon after a Mombasa court ruled that Kenya's ban on shisha is unlawful, Jhanda assured that he would introduce a Bill to tackle the vice.

Jhanda said the Bill would address the court's rulling that there was no valid or lawful prohibition on the use, production, sale, or offer for sale of shisha.

He asserted that the Bill was of paramount in order to safeguard future generations and unburden the health system.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.