Cambodia bans shisha and e-cigarettes

Following a request from the Phnom Penh municipality on Tuesday, Cambodia’s prime minister, Hun Sen, has ordered a ban on the importation and use of shisha and e-cigarettes, according to a story in The Phnom Penh Post.

After receiving an assessment from the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) claiming that these products posed a risk to Cambodian youth, the prime minister asked the municipality to take urgent and firm action, while allowing the NACD to lead and implement that action.

According to the Post’s story, in his letter assessing the products, the president of the NACD and deputy prime minister, Ke Kim Yan, made recommendations about how to “curb” their use.

“The general public sees that shisha and e-cigarettes are drugs which get youths hooked and make them neglect their studies and work, and may lead to serious problems for the nation,” wrote Kimyan.

And he recommended “ceasing use by seizing and destroying the shisha and e-cigarettes, [implementing] banning measures and stopping imports.”