Nepal government initiates process to ban e-cigarettes

Nepal government initiates process to ban e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes may be completely banned in Nepal. The Nepali government has initiated the process of banning e-cigarettes and called for multi-department coordination, emphasizing that e-cigarettes will bring health risks and may become the "entrance" to tobacco consumption.
According to reports from Nepal's Kathmandu media on May 7, the Nepalese government has initiated procedures to ban e-cigarettes. The National Health Education, Information and Communication Center (NHEICC) under the Ministry of Health Services has sought cooperation from multiple departments to implement the ban.

Keshav Raj Pandit, director of the National Center for Health Education, Information and Communication, has called on the ministries of communication and information technology, finance, industry, commerce and supplies, as well as the customs and commerce, supply and The Department of Consumer Protection jointly enforces the ban on the use of e-cigarettes.

Citing paragraph 4 of Article 28 of the Tobacco Products Control Regulations 2071 BS, Pandit said that no individual or entity shall produce, import, sell, distribute, consume in public places and public transportation, or promote and advertise e-cigarettes through media channels .

Bhakta Bahadur KC, senior health education administrator at NHEICC, said e-cigarettes will be banned in Nepal once these directives issued by the finance and communications ministries are implemented. Regarding concerns that individuals may use e-cigarettes as a tool to quit smoking, he stressed that e-cigarettes pose health risks similar to traditional cigarettes and may serve as a gateway to tobacco consumption.

He said: "Using e-cigarettes can lead to nicotine addiction and mimic smoking habits. Therefore, e-cigarettes actually become the gateway to tobacco use." The use of e-cigarettes not only affects an individual's cardiovascular health and nervous system health, but also causes Oral health problems. Additionally, there is a risk to those nearby.

In Nepal, e-cigarettes are available in various flavors. Customs department data shows that Nepal imported 3,223,687 e-cigarette devices in the last fiscal year, with the majority coming from China (3,175,815 units), followed by the United States (265,640 units) and the United Arab Emirates (12,967 units). Countries that import e-cigarettes also include India, the United Kingdom and other countries.

Dr. Bhakta Bahadur KC pointed out that Nepal's annual trade volume in electrical appliances is estimated at 32 billion rupees (approximately US$240 million). He mentioned that Nepal's import volume has increased 200 times in the past five years. The price of e-cigarettes ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 13,000.