Use of tobacco still uncontrolled in Nepal

Kathmandu, May 31 – The use of tobacco products which is the main cause of non communicable diseases like heart diseases, diabetics and lungs-cancer is still rampant in Nepal due to the lack of effective implementation of Tobacco Control and Regulation Act and the Alcohol Control Policy.

 

Although the Ministry of Health and Population has implemented the Act in the beginning of the current fiscal year, its enforcement side is not satisfactory.

 

According to the World Health Organisation, use of tobacco products is the main reason of heart-related diseases, diabetics and lungs cancer. Forty-two people die from these diseases every day in Nepal.

 

The Government of Nepal is learnt to have spent over Rs. 1.6 billion in the treatment of tobacco-borne diseases every year. Although the Act was expected to prove a milestone in controlling the use of tobacco products, its implementation has not been effective due to lack of public awareness and apathy on the part of the bodies concerned to that end.

 

The Act has banned the sale and use of tobacco products in public. Government organizations, academic institutions, library, airport, public vehicles, old- age- homes, hotels and restaurants, hostels and hospitals, among others have been categorized as public places by the Act.

 

Besides, the Act has strictly banned the people under 18 years of age and expectant woman from using in the advertisement and sale of the tobacco products. The Act bans on the sale of tobacco products and alcohol on at least 100 meters perimeter at public places. Around 37 per cent population in Nepal still uses tobacco products in Nepal, the WHO data shows.

 

Although the Act has the provision of charging a fine of Rs. 100 upto Rs. 10,000 to the rule violators, no strong measure has been taken so far to punish the violators.

 

Cigarette factories in Nepal produce over 7.5 billion sticks of cigarettes every year in Nepal.

 

When asked, Director of the National Health Education, Information and Communications Center, Sunil Raj Sharma said monitoring of the use of tobacco products and public awareness programmes and treatment of tobacco-related diseases were the top priority of the center.

 

Meanwhile, at the call of WHO, World No Tobacco Day is observed in the globe including Nepal under the theme of "Ban Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship" today. RSS