Kathmandu, August 20

Though the government amended the ‘Directives for Printing and Labelling of Warning Message and Graphics in the Boxes, Packets, Wrappers, Carton, Parcels and packaging of Tobacco Products-2011’, it is delaying implementation.

As per the amendment, tobacco companies must give more space on packets of cigarettes and tobacco related products to pictorial warnings depicting health hazards related to tobacco consumption. The coverage area of pictorial warnings in  wrappers, packets and other packaging of tobacco products was increased to 90 per cent from the existing 75 per cent.

At a press meet organised in the capital today by Action Nepal, a non-government organisation lobbying with the government and other stakeholders to reduce the consumption of tobacco related products, Ananda Bahadur Chand, its chairperson, said, “The government has not been taking timely initiative to put its own decision to implement the provision of covering 90 per cent of space with pictorial warnings depicting the health hazards of tobacco consumption on the wrappers and packets of tobacco products from May 16,” he said, urging the Ministry of Health and Population to put its words into action as soon as possible.

Chand said his organisation will move the court if the government took too long to implement the new amendment related to tobacco related products. A senior MoHP official said the implementation got delayed to due the April 25 earthquake and the post-disaster search, rescue and relief operation. He said MoHP is coming with a solid move to implement the new law soon.

The main objective of the new amendment is to discourage people, especially the young generation, from using tobacco products.

Tobacco products cause various non-communicable diseases and the amendment in the law is expected to help minimise the health hazards through pictorial warning.

According to World Health Organisation, tobacco use causes various non-communicable diseases like cancer, heart problems and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.