To create awareness and sensitize the public on the harmful effects of tobacco, the Annapurna Media Network (AMN) on April 27 launched the ‘No Tobacco Campaign for Healthy Nepal’ in collaboration with Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI) and other relevant stakeholders. The three-month campaign will also pitch for an increase in tobacco tax in the upcoming fiscal 2022/23.

A panel discussion on ‘Tobacco, an ongoing crisis and taxation as a prominent mitigation’ was held on the occasion of the campaign launch, where speakers emphasized the important role of the media in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

They also recommended various ways, including taxation, to reduce the sale and consumption of tobacco products. As part of the campaign, AMN will host and cover all news and activities of the campaign in coordination with Simrik Foundation.

According to the World Health Organization, tobacco is one of the biggest global public health threats. Every day, tobacco products kill more than eight million people around the world. More than seven million of these deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2m are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. A study by NDRI shows that there were 37,529 tobacco-related deaths in Nepal in 2021. There were four deaths every hour.