Eugenia Moche
Members of Parliament have launched stakeholder consultations on the use of ‘hubby bubbly’ (hookah) and its health impact on Namibian youth.
The consultations, scheduled to run from 13 to 31 July 2026, will be conducted by the National Council Standing Committee on Health, Social Welfare, and Labour Affairs across several regions, including Oshana, Otjozondjupa, and Omaheke.
With rising concerns over the popularity of hookah smoking among learners, the consultations in the regions aim to expand the evidence base by engaging learners, educators, and relevant stakeholders on the prevalence and health implications of hubbly bubbly in schools.
The initiative follows a motion adopted during the 2020–2025 parliamentary tenure, which tasked the health committee with investigating the effects of hubbly bubbly.
Previous oversight visits to the Hardap, Khomas, and Erongo regions in August 2024 uncovered widespread use among learners, raising concerns about addiction, declining academic performance, and health risks.
According to the 2024 oversight report, during engagements, the committee learned that many learners experiment with hubbly bubbly and vapes due to peer pressure and permissive household attitudes.
Some parents reportedly allowed their children to smoke, believing it was a safer option than cigarettes.
Learners admitted to mixing hubbly bubbly with alcohol or drugs such as cannabis and described feeling “high and hyper” after use.
Others confessed to skipping classes to smoke, while some reported hallucinations and heart palpitations.
Teachers and school boards expressed frustration, noting that disciplinary measures were too weak to deter learners.
Some children as young as 10 were found smoking hubbly bubbly, while others became distributors to finance their habits.
Educators had warned that academically gifted learners were losing focus and interest in school due to addiction.
The committee also consulted Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit, a pulmonologist at the University of Cape Town, who cautioned that adolescent lungs and brains are particularly vulnerable to nicotine and toxins.
He stressed that dependence could occur within days, leading to behavioural problems, depression, and long-term respiratory damage.
“Exposure during adolescence should be avoided at all costs,” he warned, calling for urgent regulation of hookah and vaping products.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hookah smoke contains nicotine, heavy metals, tar, and toxic agents, making it at least as harmful as cigarettes.
A single session can expose users to nine times more carbon monoxide than a cigarette. Sharing pipes increases risks of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and herpes.
Learners interviewed by the committee admitted to relying on hubbly bubbly to relax or concentrate during exams, but also reported exhaustion, nausea, and behavioural changes.
Namibia ratified the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2005 and passed the Tobacco Products Control Act in 2010.
While the law bans smoking in public facilities and restricts advertising, it does not adequately address emerging tobacco products like hubbly and vapes.
In contrast, South Africa and Botswana have introduced stronger measures, including bans on hubbly use in public places and stricter packaging requirements.
Speaking at the World No Tobacco Day commemoration held at the Kuisebmond Stadium Sport Field in Walvis Bay last month, WHO Country Representative Dr. Richard Banda presented findings from the 2024 Namibia Global School-based Student Health Survey.
The survey found that 23% of students aged 13 to 17 currently use vaping products, 18% use other tobacco products, while 9% smoke traditional cigarettes.
Boys reported significantly higher usage rates, with nearly 30% admitting to e-cigarette use.
Banda told an audience of government officials, health workers, and community members that the tobacco and nicotine industry has adapted its tactics to target young people through flavours, colourful designs, digital marketing, and social media influence.
These products, including electronic cigarettes, vapes, and nicotine pouches, are often presented as fashionable or less dangerous than traditional cigarettes.
Banda rejected this framing. “The reality is clear. All tobacco use is risky, and nicotine is harmful to developing brains,” he said.
During the same event, Erongo Governor Nathalia /Goagoses also warned that tobacco use is a primary cause of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and lung diseases.
She advised young people to desist from all forms of tobacco use, including vaping and e-cigarettes.
“What may look like fashion today may have dire consequences in future,” she said.
/Goagoses further noted that tobacco use leads to poverty as families divert funds from food, education, and healthcare to purchase tobacco products.
She called on smokers to limit second-hand smoke exposure to others and the environment.
