Govt pepares to ban e-cigarettes in Nepal

KATHMANDU: The government has initiated the process to impose a ban on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in Nepal.

The National Health Education, Information, and Communication Center under the Ministry of Health has requested cooperation from various ministries in implementing the ban on e-cigarettes.

Director of the Center, Keshav Raj Pandit, has urged ministries such as the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Department of Revenue, and Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies to collaborate in implementing measures to prevent the use of e-cigarettes.

In accordance with the Control and Regulation of Electric Substance and Regulation Directives 2071, Sub-section 4 of Clause 28, which prohibits the production, import, sale, distribution, promotion, and advertisement of e-cigarettes in public places and public transportation, Pandit mentioned that correspondence has been made for the implementation of the same directive.

Senior Health Education Administrator Dr. Bhakta Bahadur KC stated that the directive, once implemented by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Information and Communications, would lead to the ban on e-cigarettes from Nepal.

He also highlighted the health risks associated with e-cigarette usage, emphasizing that it can cause harm to both users and passive smokers.

Moreover, e-cigarettes are available in various flavors in Nepal, including blackberry, blueberry, melon, pineapple, guava, and mango.

According to the statistics of the Department of Revenue, around 3,223,687 e-cigarette devices have been imported into Nepal in the previous fiscal year.

Among these, 3,175,815 devices are solely imported from China, while significant numbers also come from countries like the United States (265,640 devices) and the United Arab Emirates (12,967 devices).

E-cigarettes are also imported from countries like India and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Keshi mentioned that e-cigarette business in Nepal amounts to around Rs 32 billion annually.

He highlighted a significant increase in imports over the past five years, with imports rising by 200 percent.

he price range for e-cigarettes varies from Rs 10,000 to Rs 13,000 per unit.

He stressed the need for immediate action to regulate and control e-cigarette usage to prevent adverse health effects on individuals and the public at large.