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Tobacco use in Nepal poses a significant public health problem with far-reaching consequences. The affordability of tobacco products has contributed to a persistently high prevalence rate (at around 32 percent) among the population. This has led to increased mortality and morbidity from non-communicable diseases, with an estimated 37,529 tobacco-attributable deaths in 2019 alone. 

What could be the role of an individual, family and society in controlling tobacco consumption? A roundtable discussion organized by the Annapurna Media Network on Tuesday highlighted the need to control tobacco consumption and suggested measures to discourage tobacco use among youths. Excerpts: 

Dr Bhakta Bahadur KC, Chief, Health Promotion and Tobacco Control Section, Ministry of Health and Population

It has been challenging for us to implement the Tobacco Products (Control and Regulatory) Act. The government has not been able to strictly implement restrictions on tobacco consumption in public places. Though we have succeeded in restricting smoking in hotels above two stars, we have not been able to restrict tobacco consumption in smaller hotels and restaurants.

The Ministry of Health had proposed amendments to the Act calling for stricter anti-tobacco law, but the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers returned the amendment proposal. We are planning to ban the sales of all tobacco products for people below the age of 21, raise the fine amount to Rs 500 for tobacco consumption in public places, increase the pictorial health warning on tobacco packages, and ban or regulate e-cigarettes and vapes. 

Raising the tobacco tax is also a good way to discourage youths from picking up habits like smoking and chewing tobacco. 

Dr Jaya Kumar Gurung, Senior research expert, Nepal Development Research Institute

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We have a very weak information system to inform the public about no tobacco consumption. Our Act has clarified about the sales and distribution. As per the Act, the government may, if it deems necessary, make provisions of license for sale and distribution of tobacco products. The government can make the provision immediately if it really wants to control and regulate tobacco consumption. 

The Act also states that no person shall be allowed to or to cause to sell and distribute or provide the tobacco products for free to a person below the age of 18 and to pregnant women. But I doubt that shopkeepers are aware of this law. 

Also, the Act bars selling and distribution of tobacco products within 100 meters of educational and health institutions, child welfare homes, child care centers and elderly care homes. This law too has not been implemented. The Act itself has become old and it needs to be updated. Our regulatory body is weak and as a result, the monitoring process is also dismal. 

If we are serious about the control and regulation of tobacco, there must be a designated team to monitor illegal sales and use of tobacco products. As far as raising the tobacco tax is concerned, the government so far has been reluctant to do so. 

Kumar Prasad Dahal, Head, Youth Development Division, Ministry of Youth and Sports 

Many of our youths are addicted to tobacco products. To help prevent the young population from tobacco addiction as well as tobacco-related diseases like cancer, the government has come up with effective laws and policies. 

The Tobacco Act explains that the manufacturers shall print visible text and pictorial warnings about the hazards of tobacco consumption, covering at least 75 percent of their product packets. Manufacturers have adhered to this stipulation, but it is not enough to discourage people from consuming tobacco.  

The government should launch anti-tobacco campaigns targeting vulnerable groups, including teenagers, wage workers and farmers. It should also conduct counseling sessions to make tobacco consumers break their habit. 

Hari Prasad Mainali, Secretary, Forum for Protection of Consumer-Rights Nepal 

The government has not given a serious thought about banning tobacco in Nepal. How will Nepal be if tobacco is banned? Can we ban it? How much can we regulate and control? How is the situation of tobacco consumption in rural areas in Nepal? There are many aspects that need to be weighed and considered if we are to ban or regulate tobacco use in the country.

Tobacco is sold in weekly markets in rural areas, and our anti-tobacco laws say nothing about this. The question we need to ask is how we can control tobacco sales and consumption using the state mechanisms. Public awareness is also very important. 

Many of our youths use tobacco products these days, and those who are non-users are picking up the habit out either out of peer pressure, or because they feel like it is part of the youth culture.

So, we need to reassess our approach and anti-tobacco laws and come up with an effective solution to discourage youths from using tobacco products. 

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki

Sehee Baek

Psychology | Memoir | Mental Health

Baek Sehee is a successful young social media director at a publishing house when she begins seeing a psychiatrist about her—what to call it? Depression? Recording her dialogues with her psychiatrist over a twelve-week period, and expanding on each session with her own reflective micro-essays, Baek begins to disentangle the feedback loops, knee-jerk reactions, and harmful behaviors that keep her locked in a cycle of self-abuse. Part memoir, part self-help book, this is a book to keep close and to reach for in times of darkness. It will appeal to anyone who has ever felt alone or unjustified in their everyday despair.

Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS

BTS, Myeongseok Kang

Biography | Music

Published in celebration of BTS’s 10th Anniversary, stories that go beyond what you already know about BTS, including unreleased photos, QR codes of videos, and all album information. BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey so far through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang. Presented chronologically in seven chapters from before the debut of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a sincere, lively, and deep story. This book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones, BEYOND THE STORY is a remarkable archive—truly everything about BTS in one volume.

Why We Meditate: The Science and Practice of Clarity and Compassion

Daniel Goleman, Tsoknyi Rinpoche

Buddhism | Self Help

We all experience negative emotions from time to time. But in a world with as much frenzy and pressure as ours, it’s incredibly easy for these same emotions to become destructive. Now, by blending Eastern tradition with Western science, this book helps you embrace and understand meditation as never before. With accessible and eye-opening advice based on ground-breaking neuroscience, this guidebook will help you break free from negative patterns of thought while embracing your very being. This book is perfect for both serious meditators and those new to the practice.

All these titles are available at BOOKVERSE, 4th floor, Civil Mall, Sundhara, Kathmandu

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Mountaineer Pasang Dawa Sherpa has summited several peaks in Nepal including Mount Everest. He has conquered the world’s highest peak multiple times, performed high-altitude rescues, and built a sterling reputation for bravery. 

A native of Lukla in Khumbu region of Nepal, Sherpa started his career in mountaineering by working in the trekking sector. He was just 15 when he began working as a kitchen help and later as a porter.

He says after the death of his father, it was upon him to look after this family. It was Sherpa’s uncle who saw that he would make a great mountain guide and offered him a month-long training. 

Soon, Sherpa began working as a mountain guide and in 2008, he attained his first success by summiting Ama Dablam (6,812 meters). His determination was fueled by this first taste of accomplishment, leading him to join the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) team from the United States in 2009 to summit Mount Everest.

“Over the years, I’ve climbed Everest nine times,” says Sherpa. 

He is still young but exceptionally talented in his field. Besides conquering some of the world’s highest mountain peaks several times over, Sherpa has also made his name for his mountain rescue works. 

During one of the mountain expeditions in 2010, he had famously offered his oxygen unit to a fellow climber.

But it is not always the tales of derring-do when you are on a mountain expedition. As a mountain guide, says Sherpa, sometimes you must take tough calls for the safety of the team. 

He recalls one incident where he had to call off the mission in order to save the life of a climber who had a medical emergency at an altitude of 8,500 meters. 

“A mountain guide requires a quick wit and a strong heart,” says Sherpa, for  whom the wellbeing of climbers is important. 

Sherpa has embarked in numerous operations to save lives, and the mountaineering world respects him for his leadership. 

His humble beginnings from a simple village boy to scaling the world's highest peaks and becoming a renowned climbing guide has inspired many.
But Sherpa has not grown tired of scaling mountains. His dream is to climb every mountain peak in the world and this month, he is planning to conquer Mount Baker in the US. 

Born to a father whose profession required traveling to different places, my journey as an internal tourist started quite early—two months after birth, to be exact. Since then, I, driven more by my father’s profession than my genuine interest, have been traveling. During these journeys, I’ve basked in the excruciatingly hot sun of Jhapa, learned how panipuri held its name as ‘puckha’ in Biratnagar, gotten the chance to smell the tea leaves of Ilam, imagined with utter bewilderment the life that my mother lived as a student in Dhankuta, deeply felt the people’s faith in deities in Saptari, and smelled the cosmopolitan air of Dharan.

After making it to almost every district of the Tarai region, I recently got a rare opportunity to travel to the mountainous region of the country. Often referred to as ‘Mahendra Lake’, the mid-western region of Nepal (Karnali Province) is home to a 167-meter-deep lake popularly known as the Rara. Turning the pages of history, we find that King Mahendra happened to discover the lake while traveling around the country on his helicopter. Spellbound by the beauty of the water body, he is said to have described the lake as ‘Swarga ki Apsara’ (a divine beauty).

Brimming with youthful vigor, I, along with four of my friends, recently hatched a 5-day trip to western Nepal. The itinerary first landed us in Nepalgunj. Fighting the scorching heat, we felt invigorated after tasting the trendy ‘Dhamboji Sekuwa’ there. The straight road, guarded by the vegetation of the Bardiya National Park on either side, escorted us to Surkhet, from where we kicked off our 8-hour-long Bolero trip to Jumla. While Padam Rai’s super hit ‘Gurasai Fulyo’ blasted through the sound system, our eyes were blessed by the sight of the scarlet rhododendron growing alongside the road to Dailekh. The Karnali River flowing through the hills of Accham and Dailekh reminded me of the crystal-clear water of the Teesta River gliding through West Bengal. On reaching Jumla, we were welcomed by the warm hospitality of the owner of the Kanjirowa Hotel, accompanied with the Marsi Chaamal (brown rice), which acted as an ointment to relieve us from the burnout of our tiring voyage.

The following morning, all five of us were awakened by the bubbling sound of the serene Tila River. The echoes of the early morning briefing made by my father to his junior police forces were witnessed by the twin hills, namely, Dewal and Garel Daada, of the Jumla valley. Humming in the playlist of western Nepal, the un-gravelled road led us to the birthplace of the Khas-Arya language, the Sinja Valley. The valley, in a nutshell, was inhabited by roads waiting to be constructed, assemblies that demanded an assemblage of people sharing similar political ideologies, students who talked of their modest dreams, and kids who blocked the road and made the travelers listen to their melodies song in hopes of earning some money.

After handing us two punctured tires, the road opened to accommodate the ‘dhupi salla’ trees, which stand to be one of the hallmarks of the Rara National Park. In an attempt to bridge the gap of unfamiliarity with our destination, the driver started narrating stories that were startling for the privileged ears to listen to. The road leading up to the hiking trail of the park was in poor shape, its existence marked by one or two houses wrecked by landslides.

The picturesque starting point of the hiking trail to the lake was no different than the wallpaper on the Windows desktop. Equipping ourselves with all the hiking essentials, we tied our shoelaces for the 2-hour hike to the soul of the lake. The road awaiting us was built with sloppy stairs where horses were seen running up and down on their master's command. Rich in natural resources, Mugu district of Karnali relies on horses as its means of transport. After climbing down the stairs, the scene before us opened to a heaven-like abode with glitters of water sparkling even in the dusk. At this moment, I was convinced by the King’s decision to name the lake ‘Swarga ki Apsara’.

Away from the everyday chaos of Kathmandu and walking shoulder to shoulder along the magnificent lake, I was reminded of the factual reality of traveling being a therapy for the mind. Alone with my thoughts, I was able to experience the heartbeat of nature at its full length. The nature of the lake was astounding. It kept changing its color, accustoming itself to the indecipherable riddle of the environment. The tiredness that had to be felt after having hiked for two hours evaporated on reaching the hotel overlooking Rara Lake where we were to lodge for the night with arrangements to let us spend the night in the tent. And it was in the tent where we exchanged laughter in the bargain of memories to be cherished for a lifetime. While we were cocooned in the warmth provided by our friendship and blankets, the rest of the world outside the tent kept themselves warm by consuming ‘tin paaney’ (a local drink).

The following morning, we were awakened by the howling of wolves at five in the morning. If not for the wolves, we would have missed the morning sunset! After clicking on Instagram-able posts, we bid farewell to Rara by boating across the lake. As I immersed my hand in the sparkling water, I was reminded of one of the lines from ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’: ‘Pighle Neelam Sa Behta Hua Yeh Samaan, Neeli Neeli Si Khamosiyan, Na Kahin Hai Zameen Na Kahin Aasman’. On recalling this line, I was hit by a sudden epiphany where the surroundings around me whispered to me the confluence of nature and my soul.

To bring us back into the regular humdrum of our lives, the horses were waiting for us across the lake. Leaving pieces of our hearts at the lake, we mounted the horses while communicating gratitude and appreciation to the equestrians.