Director of the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC), Dr. Lawrence Agyeman Sereboe, has advised the public, especially the youth, to desist from smoking shisha, as the behaviour has a high risk of resulting in heart diseases.

He said although smokers find the smoking of shisha fashionable, it is very dangerous to their health, indicating that smoking shisha for one hour is equivalent to smoking 100 sticks of cigarettes.

Dr. Sereboe, who was speaking at the 2018 launch of the World Heart Day in Accra, stated that tobacco in any form is harmful to the body, adding that shisha tobacco contains cigarette tobacco, so like cigarettes it contains nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead.

As a result, he said shisha smokers are at risk of the same kinds of diseases as cigarette smokers such as heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and problems during pregnancy.

To this end, Dr. Sereboe stressed the need for Ghanaians to cultivate a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce cardiovascular-related diseases that have been on the increase in recent years.

Touching on the theme for the commemoration of the day on September 29, 2018, Dr. Sereboe explained that lack of regular exercises and the intake of fatty and sugary foods are gradually increasing the risks of heart diseases in the country.

He said the theme: ‘My Heart, for Your Heart, For All our Hearts’ is an all encompassing call for individuals to make a personal commitment to improve upon the conditions of their heart.

Dr. Abdul Samed Tanko, a physician at the cardio centre, outlined the programme for the day which includes a health walk and medical screening for the public.

“The two-hour health walk will be from the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park through the Castle Road, Osu Oxford Street, then to liberation road and back to the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park,” he said.

Mr. Emmanuel Kofi Nti, Commissioner General, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), brand ambassador for the World Heart Day, in a speech read on his behalf challenged Ghanaians to have healthy lifestyles in order to set good example for the next generation.