Govt prepares to ban vapes

KATHMANDU: The government has initiated the process to ban electronic cigarettes (vapes) in Nepal.

The National Health Education, Information, and Communication Center under the Department of Health Services has requested different ministries to assist in enforcing the ban. The center has sought the support of various ministries and related agencies in the implementation of regulations prohibiting the consumption of e-cigarettes. Section 28 (4) of the Tobacco Products Control and Regulatory Directive, 2014, states, “No one is permitted to produce, import, sell, distribute, consume in public places and public transport, or promote and advertise electronic cigarettes through the media.”

Health practitioners say that although some people use e-cigarettes to quit smoking, they are just as harmful to health as regular cigarettes. They argue that the use of e-cigarettes teaches people how to smoke and leads to nicotine addiction.

E-cigarettes, popularly known as vapes, are battery-operated devices that heat the liquid until it becomes an aerosol which usually contains nicotine and different flavors.

Nepal imported 3,223,687 units of e-cigarette devices in the fiscal year 2022/23, according to the Department of Customs.