Kathmandu Metropolitan City has started confiscating tobacco products from shops, a day after imposing a blanket ban on the storage, sale, distribution and use of such products. On Thursday, it raided shops in the metropolis, seizing betel quid, gutkha, cigarettes and other chewing tobacco products. KMC has warned that it will shut shops violating the ban.

Acting chief of the Metropolitan Police, SP Bishnu Joshi, informed that they seized two sackfuls of tobacco products from Balaju area, two bagfuls from the Jadibuti-Koteshwar area and three sackfuls from other places in the Kathmandu valley on Thursday.

The metropolis has mobilized five teams comprising 10 people each to keep a tab on selling tobacco products along with police personnel in plainclothes.

“For up to two instances of violation of the ban, tobacco products will be confiscated from the shops in question. The third instance of violation will lead to the shop’s closure,” said SP Joshi.

KMC had published a 15-day notice on Nov 28 announcing a ban on public consumption, sale and storage of all types of tobacco products, including raw tobacco and gutkha, in accordance with the Tobacco Control and Regulation Act, 2011.

Section 11 (4) of the Act states that the government of Nepal may prohibit the retail sales and distribution of cigarettes, quid of tobacco (Bidi) or cigar sticks by publishing a notice in the Nepal Gazette.

KMC has banned the sale of cigarettes and smoking at a perimeter of 100 meters around public places, slapping a fine of up to Rs 100 on each violation. 

Meanwhile, KMC has also requested citizens to use KMC Police Force’s hotline 18105000060 or telephone numbers 01-5901763/01-5901764 to inform them about the violation of the ban.