KMC takes bold step: full prohibition on tobacco products from December 13

KATHMANDU: Starting December 13, 2023, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is set to impose a comprehensive ban on the sale of tobacco products across all 32 wards.

The Chief of the Health Department at KMC, Ram Prasad Poudel, announced that the complete prohibition would extend to the selling, storage, and use of tobacco products packaged in plastic within the metropolis’s 32 wards.

This ban encompasses various tobacco products, including cigarettes, beedi, tamakhu, sulfa, kakkad, raw tobacco packaged in plastic, chewing tobacco, gutkha, paan parag, and others. KMC Police will take action, including product seizure, against any vendors found selling these products.

Chief Poudel stated, “Our aim is to transform Kathmandu into a healthy city. In line with the 29th KMC Day, we have chosen to proscribe the storage, sale, and usage of tobacco-based products detrimental to people’s health and the environment.”

This measure aligns with Clause 42 of the Public Health Act issued by KMC in 2080 BS, reflecting a commitment to enforcing regulations aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of tobacco product use on individual health.

Tobacco control is identified as a primary requisite for enhancing public health and the environment in the city. Additionally, KMC is reportedly gearing up to introduce a program for controlling hukka in the upcoming second phase.