More than 600 people have been stopped for smoking in public places, and many of them have been made to pay a fine of Rs.100 each

The implementation of the law banning smoking in public has been very weak. Like some other laws or regulations that have not been full-heartedly implemented, action against smoking in public places in Nepal has also been an on and off affair since it came into force after Parliament passed the Tobacco Product (Control and Regulation) Act, 2011. In the first flush of the enactment, cops moved into action, and got hold of smokers in public, advised them not to do so again, or they even imposed a fine on some of them. After that we heard little of it, and again after some time, cops showed a new-found energy to enforce the law, and then it subsided and went into limbo. The same ritual, it seems, is being enacted now, when SSP Bikram Singh Thapa has warned that the police will pounce on the smokers in public places, and some plainclothes police personnel have been let loose for the purpose. Indeed, according to the Metropolitan Police Range, more than 600 people have been stopped for smoking in public places, and many of them have been made to pay a fine of Rs.100 each.

Undoubtedly, every law should be effectively implemented, and if it contains impractical or unfair provisions, it should be amended without delay. Hardly anybody will dispute the implementation part. But what is hard to understand is that its implementation depends on the enthusiasm of a police boss, less as a routine part of the duty of all police officers. This makes the expression of determination by any police boss on this matter less credible, as the public understand that the new enthusiasm will die down soon. Another shortcoming of the law-enforcers is that on social or health issues such as eliminating smoking in public places, they have solely focused on carrying out the regulation when their sporadic enthusiasm spurts, not on educating the public about its notable aspects and importance. Smoking in public places breaches a law but the offence is far less serious than a number of other breaches.

Since the law came into force six years ago, police have rounded up several thousand people. It also bans selling tobacco-related products in public places. But the practice goes on, though probably on a somewhat reduced scale. The law has defined what constitute public places but many violators of the law seem to be unaware about it. Therefore, the enforces, if they are to make the law to be obeyed by all or almost all of the smokers, should publicise the significant facts and try to motivate them to shun smoking, at least in public places. In Nepal, a significant percentage of the population smoke. According to the National Demographic Health Survey in 2011, around 52 per cent males and 13.3 per cent females of age group 15-49 use tobacco products. According to government statistics, 16,000 people die every year from tobacco consumption, and 90 per cent of them from lung cancer. The requirement that producers should cover 75 per cent of the packet of tobacco products with statutory warnings along with a large image of the damage done by consuming tobacco products is helpful, but still the smoking percentage of the population is significant. Awareness campaign and enforcement should go together.

Homestay services

Homestay service for tourists is getting to be very popular in Nepal. This is a novel idea to make the most of what the country possesses, among others, Nepalis being friendly and hospitable hosts. These days many homestays are coming up. These homestays are required to register but many of them are operating without doing so. There is a glaring lack of proper policies on homestays. The beauty of this programme is that it is an eco-friendly form of tourism. Tourists are able to experience life in Nepal firsthand. It also enables the locals to earn for a living and also improve the standard of living of the impoverished people in these mountain areas, thereby dealing with poverty alleviation and also the conservation of nature.

Thus, homestay providers held a conclave in which the participants asked the government to formulate the policies and promote this form of tourism industry. The Homestay Association is the umbrella of such service providers. It is felt that homestays should be regulated and monitored so that those defying the policies are punished. So far, the homestays are operating on Homestay Guidelines.