Printing warning message, pictures on tobacco products guidelines passed

Kathmandu, Feb 6: The Ministry of Health and Population has passed the 'Guidelines for printing warning message and pictures on box, packet and wrapper of tobacco products-2081'. 

Endorsing the Guidelines, the Ministry said that the sale and purchase of tobacco products without warning messages and pictures will not be allowed.     

On the occasion, Health Minister Pradip Paudel said the rule of mandatorily printing pictures depicting the harm to human health on boxes, packets and wrappers of tobacco products has come into force, stressing the need that all should coordinate to follow and make others follow the rule.     

The Guideline would come into force from the 180th day after its endorsement.     

Spokesperson at the Ministry, Dr Prakash Budhathoki, said an arrangement has been made to print warning messages in Nepali language and pictures on the entire box, packet and wrappers of tobacco products in Nepal as some of the studies have shown that the number of people quitting cigarette and tobacco has increased in some countries due to such messages and pictures.     

Earlier, it was necessary to print warning messages and pictures at 90 per cent space of the box, packet and wrapper of tobacco products. It is expected that such a warning message would help reduce the number of smokers as well as several people suffering from cancer and other fatal diseases.     

He further said as per the statistics, around 37,000 people die from the consumption of tobacco products every year in Nepal.