Stakeholders have demanded that the tax rate imposed by Nepal on tobacco products should be increased drastically. As part of the ‘No Tobacco Drive’ campaign organized by Annapurna Media Network on Friday, the participants at the ‘Tobacco Symposium’ pointed out that the tax on tobacco products needs to be increased further as it is very low. Experts claimed that if the tax is increased, the price of tobacco products will increase and the ability of people to buy these products will decrease and so will consumption. Since the government also receives more revenue through this step, increasing taxes is considered a ‘win-win’. They argued that increasing taxes will bring the state benefit amounting to billions of rupees if citizens are considered to have economic value. Nepal ranks 19th in the world and tops in South Asia on the list of deaths due to tobacco consumption. However, taxes on such substances are quite low in South Asia, including in Nepal. This rate is not even close to the recommendations of the World Health Organization. In the 'Tobacco Symposium' held on the eve of the budget of the financial year 2080-81, the chief guest, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Indira Rana Magar, said the use of tobacco products and its ecosystem should be eradicated from the roots. She said the consumption of such substances should be discouraged by increasing the tax so that people cannot buy it.

Studies have shown that over 5m Nepalis consume tobacco products.

  According to the Nepal Development Research Institute, the number of deaths due to smoking has increased by 60 percent in the last 30 years. A study says that among the nations in South Asia, the death rate due to tobacco products is the highest in Nepal.   Dr Jaya Kumar Gurung, a senior research expert at the NDRI says, “The risks that may occur in the future from tobacco products are high. And our study says 1.34m people will die due to tobacco products in the next 30 years.”   Effects of smoking on organs Senior gyneoncological cancer specialist Dr Sarita Ghimire says that smoking harms all parts of the body. Ghimire says that tobacco products are the main cause of cancer of the blood vessels, heart, lungs, mouth as well as the uterus of women. According to Dr Anil Bikram Karki, president, Nepal Medical Association, the source of disease is the mouth. Smoking causes heart disease as well as health problems such as asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia. Protect the  According to a study conducted by NDRI, 10 to 15 percent of students in Kathmandu Valley consume some form of tobacco. Dr Gurung asks, “Is our attention enough to protect the youth from the evils of smoking?” The new generation has gone from smoking cigarettes to enjoying hookah bars in restaurants. From airports to bus parks and from public vehicles to clubs, public toilets, and workplaces of industries and factories, tobacco products are consumed openly. Smoking goes unchecked in hotels, restaurants, bars, eateries, lodges, canteen, swimming pools, and pool houses. Annapurna Express has been lobbying to raise the tax rate to at least 50 percent in the coming financial year under the No Tobacco Drive campaign. The network has also been conducting various environment-friendly activities with the main slogan of Unity for Sustainability.