Tobacco use in Nepal is a common practice. Smoking cigarettes is the most common mode of

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

use in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. Tobacco is attributed to cause over 27000 annual deaths in Nepal.

Background

Both smoking and the use of

smokeless tobacco Smokeless tobacco is a tobacco product that is used by means other than smoking. Their use involves chewing, sniffing, or placing the product between gum and the cheek or lip. Smokeless tobacco products are produced in various forms, such as ...

are common practices in

with 28.3% of adults consuming some form of tobacco in Nepal. Out of smokeless tobacco,

chewing tobacco Chewing tobacco is a type of smokeless tobacco, smokeless tobacco product that is placed between the cheek and lower Gums, gum to draw out its flavor. It consists of coarsely chopped aged tobacco that is flavored and often sweetened; it is not gr ...

is the most common form of tobacco use

Beedi A beedi (also spelled bidi or biri) is a thin cigarette or cigar, mini-cigar filled with tobacco flake and commonly wrapped in a tendu (''Diospyros melanoxylon'') or ''Piliostigma racemosum'' leaf tied with a string or adhesive at one end. It ...

use is also common among Nepalese women. The Act against Tobacco was established in 2011, which prohibits the sale of tobacco use to minors and pregnant women.

Prevalence of tobacco use

48.3% of males and 11.6% of female adults consumed some form of tobacco in 2019. Cigarettes are the most common form of tobacco used by both sexes, while adults use less beedi compared to females. Chewing tobacco is more common than the use of

Gutka Gutka, ghutka, or guṭkha () is a type of betel quid and chewing tobacco preparation made of crushed areca nut (also called betel nut), tobacco, catechu, paraffin wax, slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and sweet or savory flavourings, in India ...

in Nepal .

Smoking in Nepal

In 2019, 28.9% of adults (aged 15–69 years) used either smoked or smokeless tobacco products. In the entire population, 17.1% of Nepalese smoked in 2019, with 22% male and 6% female. The average age for initiation of smoking is 17.8 years, with 17.7 for men and 18.4 for female.

Legislation

Smoking is prohibited in public transportation, educational institutions, hospitals, restaurants, government offices, and other public places as per the Tobacco Act 2011. The sale of cigarettes to minors and pregnant women is a punishable offence in Nepal, along with the act of smoking in the above-mentioned public places. The advertisement of tobacco products is also prohibited. Recently, the decision to ban the sale of tobacco in

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

was reverted by Patan High Court.

Graphics warning

In 2015, Nepal implemented the world’s largest graphic warning on cigarette packets, which kept around 90% of the area covered with graphics and warning message.

Anti Smoking Campaign

Smokers are not selfish anti smoking campaign was initiated by Dr. Om Foundation from February 1-14, 2024, culminating on valentine’s day with aim to make meaningful sacrifices for loved ones by quitting habits of smoking and other tobacco products. In this campaign over 1600 individuals pledged to quit smoking.

Companies

There are 12 officially registered tobacco companies in Nepal. Surya Tobacco Company is the largest cigarette manufacturer in Nepal.

References

{{reflist Tobacco in Nepal Culture of Nepal