Nepal Considers Banning E-Cigarette Sales Due to Rising Youth Usage
According to a recent report by MyRepublica, the Information Officer at the Nepal Health Education, Information and Communication Center believes that Nepal may ban the sale of e-cigarettes in the future.
Nepal is currently facing an issue of increasing e-cigarette usage among teenagers. According to statistics, Nepal's e-cigarette imports are projected to reach 3.2 million units by 2023, with an estimated market value of 21 billion Nepalese Rupees (approximately $15.8 million USD). Despite research indicating that e-cigarette vapor is at least 95% less harmful than smoking, Nepal considers the potential harm of e-cigarettes to be on par with traditional tobacco burning, based on health concerns.
According to a recent survey by the Nepal Development Research Institute, 34.1% of the population in Nepal smoke, showing an increase from 31.8% in 2020.
Researcher Kamal Chaulagain from the Nepal Development Studies Institute believes that the increasing popularity of tobacco consumption is due to the growing prevalence of hookahs and e-cigarettes, with some users viewing them as alternatives to traditional smoking. He also calls for an increase in tobacco taxes. Jaya Kumar Gurung, the director of the Nepal Development Studies Institute, accuses the weak enforcement of anti-smoking legislation, emphasizing the lack of public awareness regarding the harmful effects of tobacco products.
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