The Ministry of Health and Population has passed the 'Guidelines for printing warning message and pictures on box, packet and wrapper of tobacco products-2081'.

Endorsing the Guidelines, the Ministry said sale and purchase of tobacco products without warning message and pictures would not be allowed.

On the occasion, Health Minister Pradeep Paudel said the rule of mandatorily printing the pictures depicting the harm on human health on box, packet and wrapper of tobacco products has come into force, stressing the need that all should coordinate to follow and make others follow the rule.

The Guideline would come into force from the180th day after its endorsement. Spokesperson at the Ministry, Dr Prakash Budhathoki, said an arrangement has been made to print warning messages in Nepali language and pictures on the entire box, packet and wrappers of tobacco products in Nepal as some of the studies have shown that number of people quitting cigarette and tobacco has increased in some countries due to such messages and pictures.

Earlier, it was necessary to print warning message and picture at 90 percent space of the box, packet and wrapper of tobacco products.

It is expected that such warning message would help reduce the number of smokers as well as number of people suffering from cancer and other fatal diseases.

He further said as per the statistics, around 37,000 people die from the consumption of tobacco products every year in Nepal.