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Nepal: Tougher Tobacco Control Campaign in Offing Source from: Republica 07/02/2013  In a bid to discourage people from smoking, the District Public Health Office (DPHO) Kathmandu has decided to launch awareness campaign against consumption of tobacco. Officials at Kathmandu DPHO said that they have already started monitoring public places like government offices, private enterprises, schools and colleges in the districts. "We have asked the government and private offices to place signboards with "No smoking zone" written on them at the entrance of the office and implement the rules strictly," Sri Krishna Bhatta, chief of Katmandu DPHO, said. He said that the office has started monitoring to enforce Tobacco Control and Regulation Act, 2010. Though the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) introduced the Act three years ago, the concerned authorities failed to enforce it strictly. According to Bhatta, the office has also sought help of the District Administration Office, police, civil society and social organizations to make the campaign effective. "We have found that people are very much positive about the campaign and they are ready to help in the strict implementation of the Act," added Bhatta. The office said that it will send health workers to schools and colleges to make students and others aware about the negative effects of tobacco among students. "We will ask everybody to ban tobacco from areas near school and colleges." He said that the administration will also help the educational institutions in discouraging tobacco sales in their areas. Related Updates |