Tobacco Control Programme

Tobacco Products are the major risk factor of Cancer and other non-communicable diseases. In Nepal every year around 27,100 people die of tobacco related diseases and 90% of them die of lung cancer. In Nepal 2 person die in every per hour due to the tobacco related diseases. NCRS for last more than 16 years has been serving the country by conducting tobacco control programs. The detailed activities related to Tobacco control program are:-

1. FCTC Ratification, advocacy and pass of “Tobacco Products Control and Regulatory Bill, 2010”

Pressurized Nepal Government to formulate and implement “Tobacco Product (Control and Regulatory) Act, 2010”
The act consisted of 27 sections of law.
Nepal Government has signed the treaty on Framework Convention on Tobacco Control – FCTC under World Health Organization in 2003.
NCRS lobbied with majority of the policy makers to pass the bill.

2. Won the case against the tobacco industry's regarding the policies on the display of :“Warning Signs and Pictures on Cigarette Packages”

3. COYAT (Club of Youth against Tobacco)

Main Objective is to create tobacco-free schools and communities
Also, to empower youths for: Tobacco Control, Anti-Tobacco Advocacy, Personal Behavior Change
This club has been working actively since its formation and now, is established in more than 25 schools.
The major activities includes: Awareness programs, participation in rallies, quiz, painting, poem and elocution competition illustrations through puppet shows by creating a story line and informative presentation slides.

4. World No Tobacco Day

31^st May is marked as a World No Tobacco Day.
Every year, NCRS celebrates this day with series of programs and activities.
Micro level activity: School/women group focused awareness programs on tobacco control.
Mezzo level activity: Inter-School competition which includes poetry, elocution, debate, quiz and painting competition on the subject of Tobacco.
Macro level activity: Mass rallies to increase the voices of community and pressurize government to focus more on tobacco control activities.

5. Tobacco Quit-Line Counseling Service (520-1200)

NCRS introduced Tobacco Quit Line for the first time in Nepal with the help of Rotary Club of Bagmati.
On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day 2005.
It is a free counseling service via telephone.
It is running in its 13^th
Main objective is to provide direct counseling to smokers who are willing to quit or to non-smokers who never wish to start.
The phone call generally last to 20-25 minutes and is followed by weekly or monthly follow-up to update the progress.

6. Signature Campaign

The campaign main aim was to collect as much signature as possible to pressurize government to make Nepal TOBACCO-FREE COUNTRY by 2022.
By the help of 42 NCRS branch offices and other local organizations we were able to collect more than signatures.

7. Strategic Program to raise the salience of tobacco use in Nepal, and to advocate for stronger tobacco control, including taxation

The Program aims to work hand in hand with NDRI (Nepal Development Research Institute) in the public dissemination of arguments on tobacco control based on NDRI's research and engage in high- level political/ policy making process.
Different Sub-programs are being organised under it.
- Signature program
- Workshops in different districts
- Cancer case study by interviewing the cancer patients having the history of using tobacco products
- Advocacy.