Tobacco.org

• Action if smoking ban violated 

BHAKTAPUR: The District Administration Office (DAO) Bhaktapur has prohibited smoking in the premises of the government offices in the district.

The DAO banned smoking in office premises at a time when the smoking ban in public places by the government has not been enforced.

Officiating CDO Yam Prasad Subedi said work was started from his office as part of banning it totally in the public places of the district. Written direction was given to staff and service recipient not to smoke within office premises and action will be taken if it is violated, he said.

Jump to full article »

Prevalence, distribution and predictors of tobacco smoking and chewing in Nepal: a secondary data analysis of Nepal Demographic and Health Survey-2006 

Conclusions

Prevalence of tobacco use is considerably high among Nepalese people. Demographic and socioeconomic determinants and geospatial distribution should be considered while planning tobacco control interventions.

Jump to full article »

• Govt finally endorses anti-tobacco directives  

The government on Friday assented to the anti-tobacco directives that had been gathering dust on the table of Health Minster Rajendra Mahato.

The decision came the very day, which according to Tobacco Product Control and Regulatory Act 2010, assented to by President Ram Baran Yadav on May 9 and enforced from August 7, had asked all the tobacco products to have pictorial warnings of tobacco hazards on their covers.

The letter posted by the Health Ministry and signed by Secretary Dr Sudha Sharma on Friday read that the directives have been approved by the ministry hence asking all the tobacco-producing firms to put labels accordingly.

The directives require tobacco-producing firms to print pictorial warnings on the hazards of consuming a tobacco product covering 75 percent area of its cover. According to the order, cigarette packets need to have pictorial warnings of lungs affected by cancer while bidi (a small hand-rolled cigarette) packets should carry a picture of a child suffering from cancer on their wrappers.

The directives also require other tobacco products gutkha (a sweetened mixture of chewing tobacco, betel nut, and palm nut), khaini (chewing tobacco) and surti (tobacco leaves) to have warnings printed on their wrappers.

Jump to full article »

Physicians are a key to encouraging cessation of smoking among people living with HIV/AIDS: a cross-sectional study in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal 

Conclusions

Roughly one-third of HIV-positive smokers residing in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, are at the contemplation or preparation stage of smoking behaviour change, with rates significantly higher among those whose physicians have asked about their smoking status during any clinical interaction over the past year. Systematic screening for smoking by physicians during routine HIV care may help to reduce the heavy burden of smoking and smoking-related morbidity and mortality within HIV-positive populations in Nepal and similar settings.

Jump to full article »

Anti-smoking law comes into force on Aug 7 

The much-awaited Tobacco Control and Regulation Act, 2068 is coming into force on August 7.

This Act prohibits smoking and sale and distribution of tobacco-related products at public places and slaps a fine from Rs. 100 to Rs. 100,000 on the offenders. . . .

Speaker Subas Nembang today launched a programme organised to raise awareness and provide information about the Act. The programme is organised by the Primary Health Service Resource Centre.

The objective of this awareness-raising programme is to conduct public awareness campaigns in 52 different districts to create public pressure for the effective implementation of the Act and to ensure the people's right to health.

Jump to full article »

LETTERS: Smoking ban 

Holy smoke! CDOs in the dark about ban 

As the ban came into effect today, a key segment of government -- Chief District Officers in the Valley -- surprisingly remained in the dark about it.

CDOs of Kathmandu and Lalitpur, Laxmi Prasad Dhakal and Ratna Raj Pandeya, say they have not got the copy of the act yet.

Dhakal tried to come clean by saying that there was no coordination in the Home Ministry to implement the law.

Likewise, Pandeya said there was no order from the Home Ministry to this effect.

"We have not received the copy of the act yet. We are waiting for the order," said Pandeya. Bhaktapur CDO Keshav Raj Acharya said, "I have sent my men to get the copy of the act and will implement it soon."

Jump to full article »

• Ban on smoking in public places goes unimplemented 

The ban on smoking in public places has not come into full implementation. Even lawmakers were found puffing on cigarettes inside the premises of the Constituent Assembly building.

The Tobacco Control and Regulation Act-2068 that came into effect from Sunday bans smoking in government offices, educational and health institutions, airports, public vehicles, daycare centres, religious places old-age homes, orphanages, clubs, public toilets, industries, factories, theatres, cinema halls, hotels, restaurants, canteens, hostels, lodges and guesthouses. However, smokers still seem oblivious of the new provision and are found smoking in public places.

RSS found many people smoking while walking through public places. People who have knowledge of the new provision are also found smoking, challenging the authorities.

Jump to full article »

Kathmandu not witness enforcement drive in support of anti-smoking act 

On the first day of anti-smoking legislation coming into effect on Sunday, Nepali capital Kathmandu did not witness any enforcement drive in support of the Act mainly due to confusion among implementing agencies.

According to Monday's Republica, both the civil administration and the police were clueless as to who has the authority to catch an offender and what course they should take once they find someone violating the law.

They blamed higher-ups for not giving them any briefing on implementation of the historic legislation.

Jump to full article »

Smoking banned in public places 

With the Tobacco Control and Regulatory Act-2010 coming into effect, ban on smoking in public places will be enforced from tomorrow.

Those smoking in public places will be fined up to Rs 100 and civil servants will be liable to departmental action.

Government offices, corporations, educational institutions, libraries, airports, public vehicles, orphanages, childcare centres, cinema halls, homes for the elderly, cultural centres, children's gardens, hotels, restaurants, resorts, girls' and boys' hostels, department stores, religious sites and industries have been designated no-smoking zones.

Jump to full article »

Smoking claims a Nepali every 30 minutes 

Nepal Cancer Relief Society and various other government and non-government organizations had been advocating against smoking in public places for the past 26 years. It has finally been put into practice in legal terms.

Consumption of the tobacco-related products claims a Nepali every 30 minutes in Nepal.

According to School-Level Education and Smoking Control Programme Coordinator, Sundar Thapa, 90 per cent Nepalis afflicted with lung cancer got the disease due to smoking.

Jump to full article »

• Anti-tobacco law kicks in but enforcement uncertain 

While many people, especially anti-tobacco activists, are overjoyed by the Tobacco Control and Regulation Act-2068, which comes into effect today, its enforcement appears to be a difficult proposition.

The passage of the Act is itself a huge stride toward curbing smoking in public places and controlling unscrupulous sales of tobacco products, but a question arises how effective the much-awaited Act will be since there is no designated government authority for monitoring.

The Act includes provisions for officials to inspect implementation of the new law, but the government seems not to have given due priority to this aspect as yet.

As per the Act, a committee headed by the health secretary has been set up to control and regulate tobacco products. The committee is also tasked with monitoring the inspection officials.

Jump to full article »

EDITORIAL: No smoking, please! 

The Tobacco Control and Regulation Act-2068, which was endorsed some three months back by the President, came into effect from Sunday. All should applaud this effort of the state to promote healthier living, cleanliness and pollution control in the country. The Act invariably bans smoking in public places and puts a check on unscrupulous sales of tobacco products. Now onwards, it will be a punishable crime to smoke in public places like government offices, educational institutions, airports, public transports, child care homes, old-age homes, public toilets, work places at industries and factories, cinema halls or theatres, hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, hostels, guest houses, stadiums, fitness centers, department stores, mini markets, religious places, bus stops and ticket counters. As per the Act, District Administration Offices (DAOs) can slap a fine ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 100,000 on anyone found smoking in public or those selling tobacco products to people under 18 years of age and pregnant women. . . .

While no monitoring and inspection officials have been inducted in the Health Ministry's committee formed to implement the Act, the DAOs have washed their hands off saying their role is "unclear." The government must clear all the confusion at once to ensure that the Act is properly implemented and that agencies coordinate with each other to monitor the ban. Otherwise, the noble motive with which the ban has been imposed will prove meaningless.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry should give a serious thought to the proposal put forward by the anti-tobacco activists and organizations which are asking the state to mobilize the police force to implement this Act. It is not a bad idea at all given the outreach of our policemen in the public domain. In addition, each citizen has a moral responsibility to abide by the law of the land. The general public must respect the ban and follow it sincerely for their own benefit and that of the country at large.

Jump to full article »

Nepal bans smoking at public places 

Nepal has banned smoking at public places with the 2010 Tobacco Control and Regulatory Act coming into effect from Sunday.

As per the law, those caught smoking at public places will be fined and civil servants indulging in smoking at public places will be liable to departmental action.

The law designates government offices, corporations, educational institutions, libraries, airports, public vehicles, orphanages, childcare centres, cinema halls, homes for the elderly, cultural centres, children''s gardens, hotels, restaurants, resorts, girls'' and boys'' hostels, department stores, religious sites and industries as no-smoking zones.

According to Xinhua, Nepal Health Secretary Sudha Sharma said the government would carry out a mass awareness programme, highlighting the penalty for smoking in public places.

Jump to full article »

Nepal observes World No Tobacco Day 

KATHMANDU (Xinhua) - Tobacco related diseases claim over 15,000 lives every year in Nepal. A recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Population showed 37.1 percent of the people in the country are smokers.

The World No Tobacco Day is being observed in Nepal with various awareness raising programs on Tuesday.

Jump to full article »