Kathmandu, April 28
The Ministry of Health is taking a tough step against the Surya Tobacco Company, which is avoiding implementation of the anti-tobacco directives.
The Ministry will take action against the Company for flouting the directives, said Minister of State for Health Padma Aryal. “Despite repeated calls, the Company has ignored the directives. So the Ministry will take action against the Company within a week.”
She was speaking at an interaction “Public Health Promotion: control and regulation of tobacco products” in the Capital on Saturday.
According to the amended directives, of 90 percent space, 70 percent should have pictures depicting cancer in human organs. The rest space will contain statutory warnings in Nepali.
It also applies for other tobacco products—gutkha (a sweetened mixture of clewing tobacco, betel nut, and palm nut), khaini (chewing tobacco) and surti (tobacco leaves)—to bear warning messages on 90 percent space of the wrappers. It has been four years since the directives came into force, but the Company is ignoring it under various pretexts.
