Five bars closed for Shisha Sales in Addis Abeba

News
By Tesfaye Getnet – April 24, 2017, Capital Ethiopia
Five bars and lounges near Bole area were closed for selling Shisha at night under the auspices of violating trade regulations. Jubilee in Haya Hulet, DC Lounge, Sunses, VIP and Robio were allegedly using illegal receipts to bill people for smoking Shisha.
According to the Bole Wereda 3 Trade Office, they were caught by one of their officers and warned to stop but to no avail. Customers were being charged between 300 to 500 birr for smoking the flavored tobacco.
According to trade regulations selling Shisha in shops or renting houses to smoke it, is strictly forbidden.
Tamrate Kindae head of Wereda 3 Trade Office told Capital that people ranging from teenagers to professors were smoking Shisha in the businesses.
“It is a sad story because bars and restaurants received the licenses to sell food and beverages but in the small rooms they let people smoke Shisha which we do not want occurring anywhere.”
“We care about our generation, if we do not oppose this kind of behavior, bars will do the same thing and harm people’s health. As a result, we will close these bars for one month and allow them to reopen if they pay a fine but if they repeat the action they will lose their license,” he said.
He added that 20 bars and 35 residential houses were also cited for the same type of violations in the past three months and over 1,000 Shisha pipes were also confiscated.
The bars were closed after the residents complained that one high end club had become a nuisance and a security threat to their neighborhood.
“The residents told us that their once quiet neighborhood has been turned into a double parking lot, and commercial sex workers now share their driveway. We have a duty to close the bars and the businesses when illegal activity disrupts people’s lives.”
“Businesses must be responsible, selling Shisha may be an easy way to earn money but it kills the work ethic of the people and causes the younger generation to become addicted which makes them unproductive,” he addedg