During an interaction organised to mark World Cancer Day on February 4, Miss Nepal 2007 and goodwill ambassador of Nepal Cancer Relief Society, Sitasma Chand, stressed the need to make the atmosphere free of smoke to reduce the risk of cancer amongst children. According to a report, 700 million children suffer from cancer caused by inhaling dust and smoke. While the government has planned to declare Nepal as a tobacco-free state by 2020, initiatives so far taken to combat cancer have hardly been satisfactory. The ban on smoking in public places remains ineffectual owing to the lackadaisical approach of the authorities to enforcing the law.

Pollution control alone can mitigate the risk of cancer caused by dust and smoke to a large extent. Not so long ago, the government in order to control pollution in the Valley banned vehicles below certain emission standard levels and instead allowed them to ply outside the capital. While the move helped reduce pollution in the Valley, the government overlooked the fact that it would increase pollution elsewhere. It would have been much wiser had the government set higher standards of emission test for public and private vehicles. Measures, including the resumption of trolley bus services and encouraging transport entrepreneurs to operate environment-friendly vehicles and the people to use the public bus service, would serve the purpose of reducing cancer risk significantly.