Children as Young as 12 Found to be Addicted to Tobacco Products in Nepal

Kathmandu. Addiction to tobacco products has been found even in children. On the occasion of 'World No Tobacco Day' today, information was given at a program organized by the Department of Health Services here that children under 12 years of age studying in schools are also found to be smoking cigarettes.

Researcher Kusum Shahi of the Nepal Health Research Council informed that the study was conducted on three thousand children studying in grades 7 to 10 in 50 schools in all seven provinces, presenting the study report.

According to her, the study found that children under 10 years of age were also addicted to smoking. During that time, 57 percent of people said they smoked as soon as they woke up in the morning, and 74 percent of users said they were trying to quit smoking but could not.

At the program, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene, Dr. Shreekrishna Shrestha, said that tobacco product manufacturing industries are found to be selling flavored products like hookah and vape with sweet and pleasant aromas to addict adolescents.

He said that campaigns should be conducted to stop the increasing attraction of adolescents towards cigarettes, vape, and hookah. Additional Secretary Dr. Shrestha also urged not to consume any harmful substances like vape and hookah. He said that the implementation of laws for the prevention and control of tobacco products should be emphasized.

"By conducting a tobacco-free campaign in the country, the cost of treating diseases like heart, lung, kidney, and cancer can be saved. Everyone should pay attention to this," Shrestha said.

Acting Director General of the Department of Health Services, Dr. Anuj Bhattachan, said that tobacco products are a social poison and can be stopped with the cooperation of everyone. "Tobacco products are a kind of social poison. We must all work together to eliminate it from society," he said.

Acting Director General Dr. Bhattachan expressed the view that the government is committed to preventing and controlling tobacco products and that everyone's support is necessary. At the program, Director General of the Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine, Dr. Basudev Upadhyay, urged those who have tobacco users in their homes to help them quit.

"If anyone in your home consumes tobacco products, let's first help them quit. Gradually, let's also make other people in society aware not to engage in this activity," he said.

Health activists Shanta Raj Mulmi, Dr. Jaykumar Gurung, and Jyoti Baniya emphasized that campaigns should be conducted to prevent and control tobacco products among youth.

The day was celebrated with the slogan 'Let's shatter the illusion of new forms of tobacco products and nicotine, stay away from addiction, choose a healthy life'.

In Nepal, more than 39,000 people die every year due to the consumption of tobacco products. Doctors have said that smoking and tobacco products cause non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.