No smoking, please!

The Tobacco Control and Regulation Act-2068, which was endorsed some three months back by the President, came into effect from Sunday. All should applaud this effort of the state to promote healthier living, cleanliness and pollution control in the country. The Act invariably bans smoking in public places and puts a check on unscrupulous sales of tobacco products. Now onwards, it will be a punishable crime to smoke in public places like government offices, educational institutions, airports, public transports, child care homes, old-age homes, public toilets, work places at industries and factories, cinema halls or theatres, hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, hostels, guest houses, stadiums, fitness centers, department stores, mini markets, religious places, bus stops and ticket counters. As per the Act, District Administration Offices (DAOs) can slap a fine ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 100,000 on anyone found smoking in public or those selling tobacco products to people under 18 years of age and pregnant women.



Smoking should be prohibited in public places to protect the rights of non-smokers, especially children who become victims of secondhand smoking at tender age. Passive smokers are exposed to higher risks of heart disease, respiratory problems and cancers, not to mention health hazards caused to the actual smokers. Therefore, the new Act is progressive and a step in the right direction. Most developed countries of the West and even some developing nations of South Asia have already banned smoking in public places considering the safety and health of the general public. It is heartening that Nepal too has now joined the league of those countries.



Unfortunately, the Act has already invited much skepticism with its implementation part appearing to be difficult as there seems to be no designated government authority for monitoring the ban. Confusion looms large over the role of each state agency that the Act takes into its purview. While no monitoring and inspection officials have been inducted in the Health Ministry’s committee formed to implement the Act, the DAOs have washed their hands off saying their role is “unclear.” The government must clear all the confusion at once to ensure that the Act is properly implemented and that agencies coordinate with each other to monitor the ban. Otherwise, the noble motive with which the ban has been imposed will prove meaningless.



Meanwhile, the Health Ministry should give a serious thought to the proposal put forward by the anti-tobacco activists and organizations which are asking the state to mobilize the police force to implement this Act. It is not a bad idea at all given the outreach of our policemen in the public domain. In addition, each citizen has a moral responsibility to abide by the law of the land. The general public must respect the ban and follow it sincerely for their own benefit and that of the country at large.

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