Kathmandu, February 6:

Health and Environment Awareness Forum Nepal (HEAFON) today organised a programme to raise public awareness against the sale and consumption of tobacco products in public places.

Tobacco kills approximately 15,000 people annually in Nepal, according to Tobacco Economic Survey 2000. National Health, Information and Communication Centre (NHEICC), under the Ministry of Health and Population, has been carrying out different anti-tobacco programmes with the objective of reducing morbidity and mortality resulting from consumption of tobacco and its products.

“We have launched many awareness campaigns and other public awareness agendas through electronic media to control the usage of tobacco,” said Laxmi Raman Ban, director, NHEICC.

The government prohibited smoking in all government offices, health institutions and public places on May 31, 2002. However, the implementation of the decision has been minimal.

HEAFON also requested the legislative parliament to approve the Smoking (Prohibition and Control) Act and formulate campaigns and strategies to pass the anti-tobacco law in Nepal.