A WHO report recently stated that tobacco use takes a toll of over 15,000 lives in Nepal annually. Besides the loss of precious lives, tobacco use, especially in the underdeveloped countries, costs the locals and national economies billions of dollars. It is another sad fact that poor people tend to spend more on tobacco consumption, thus making them more vulnerable both economically and physically. According to the report, tobacco use kills 5.4 million people across the globe every year. If immediate measures are not taken to discourage this trend, thousands of people would continue to die of diseases caused by tobacco use.

Most of the developed countries have banned smoking in public places. This has not only helped control smoking significantly but also reduced the risk of non-smokers falling victim to second-hand smoking. Unfortunately, the government has been doing precious little in this regard. Not only should the government ban smoking in public places but also launch campaigns to make people aware about the perils of tobacco use. Furthermore, the government should also enforce bans on the advertising and promoting of tobacco through misleading terms such as ‘light’ and ‘low tar’. Successful implementation of the ban will not only prevent thousands of deaths caused by tobacco use but also save the nation billions of rupees that is being spent on tobacco annually.