Moroccan Lawmaker Raises Alarm Over Shisha Cafes Near Schools

Touria Afif is concerned about the proliferation of shisha cafes near educational establishments. "The students and educational staff of the Muadh ibn Jabal college and the Al Abbas Miftah qualifying high school in Salé have had enough of the behavior of the customers of two neighboring cafes, from which the shisha smoke escapes and reaches the spaces and classrooms of the two establishments, causing them serious damage," she reports in two written questions addressed respectively to the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of National Education.

According to the elected official, this situation has affected the progress of the educational process. The proliferation of these cafes near schools not only constitutes a serious attack on the sanctity of the two institutions, but it also represents a threat to the security and safety of their environment, she explains, noting that this could have a negative and serious impact on the education and behavior of some students and on their future.

Afif asks the two ministers concerned to reveal the immediate and very urgent measures and actions they intend to take to prevent this damage and relieve the suffering mentioned, in order to ensure respect for the two educational establishments and to do justice to the persons concerned.

Many dangers are associated with shisha. These include addiction, annoying odors, lack of hygiene, shisha sharing, massive smoke clouds inhaled by customers or passive smokers. Not to mention the problematic activities that emerge in these establishments, including drug trafficking, prostitution, and insecurity.