Nepal''s Tobacco Control Act Hailed

Source from:  Himalayan Times  12/28/2012

Professor Jeff Dunn, Chief Executive Director of Cancer Council Queensland, today welcomed the provisions made in Tobacco Control and Regulation Act in Nepal, saying that it will provide strong backing to implement the Act effectively. "The coverage of 75 per cent pictorial health warning on cigarette packets or wrappers of any tobacco product is one of the most appreciable provisions of the Act," said Dunn.

On December 1, Australia became the first country in the world to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes which means all tobacco company logos and colours will be banned from packets. "They have been replaced by a dreary, uniform, green/ brown, colour accompanied by a raft of anti-smoking messages and photographs," he said. It set the target of reducing smoking levels from 16 per cent of the population in 2007 to less than 10 per cent by 2018.

According to Dunn, it took them years of advocacy, lobbying and dedication from community, NGOs and other stakeholders to persuade the government for the proposal of plain packaging "Nepal has lots of potentials to implement the pictorial provision as the health ministry has a great enthusiasm for its effective implementation," said Dunn.

"The community could work together to provide preventive and curative treatment of the disease. Prevention, early detection and treatment is essential to deal with the disease," he said. Although Australia has a good social safety net, many women don't visit the health facilities to screen their body.

"Therefore money is not only the main reason that people are not coming to health centres, attitude has much to do with it." he said.

Meanwhile, Dunn held a meeting with Health Secretary Dr Praveen Mishra today. During the meeting, Mishra said Nepal was very interested in implementing the Act effectively and seeking help from the private organisations. There are about 29 per cent female smokers and 49 per cent male smokers in the country. Enditem