A prominent Ghanaian Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Nartey George, has raised concerns about the increasing popularity of shisha smoking and the excessive use of aphrodisiacs among Ghanaian youth, saying the irresponsible lifestyle choices of Ghanaian youth are partly contributing to the rise in kidney-related diseases in the country.
In an interview with Joy News TV. the MP for Ningo-Prampram Constituency bemoaned the increasing level at which the youth have become sex-craze, making them fall for any
According to the lawmaker, some people are suffering from kidney diseases through no fault of theirs, but the majority of the cases are caused by bad lifestyle choices such as reckless smoking of weed, shisha, cigarettes, and other hard drugs in the name of fashion.
He cited East Legon and other parts of Accra, where young people publicly display drug use without care about the health consequences that they might suffer later.
He lamented how most young people are consuming all sorts of concoctions in the name of aphrodisiac as if it is the biggest achievement ever, all of which end up damaging their kidneys and other vital organs.
He cautioned that it is about time the country took a critical look at some of these trends and banned some of these dangerous substances to save its citizens.
“I am not a fan of hospitals, but my wife has insisted you need to get yourself checked at the year, mid-year… just to be sure everything is intact,” he said.
We all just need to take care of ourselves, and I have been talking about it, especially with this dialysis thing, you know, and I am saying that, when you look at people reporting with kidney failures, it is young people. It is more and more young people.
“And it’s because we… look, I’m going to say something that Ghanaian youth will not be very happy about, but we are very irresponsible when it comes to our healthcare and our life choices.”
Shisha, also known as hookah or water pipe smoking, has gained significant popularity in recent years among Ghanaian youth.
Shisha smoking, known for its social appeal and flavoured tobacco, has gained popularity, particularly among young adults. However, medical professionals have expressed concerns about the impact of shisha on kidney health due to its higher concentration of toxins and chemicals
Cases of kidney diseases are on the rise in Ghana, and health officials are worried because more of the cases involve young people.
