KATHMANDU, JUL 06 - Police arrested 439 people from several parts of the Capital city for smoking in public places 10 days since the government started sparing no effort to ban smoking in public places in practice.
According to the Hanumandhoka Metropolitan Police Range (MPR), the offenders were picked up from Bir Hospital, Singha Durbar, Thamel, Basantapur, New Road, Kamalpokhari, Thapathali and Ratna Park. The smokers were fined Rs 100 each and released after they vowed not to repeat the offence in writing.
The Kathmandu District Administration Office (DAO) recently came under severe criticism for not implementing the Tobacco Control and Regulatory Act-2010 that the parliament had endorsed on August 7 last year.
Security personnel are increasingly vigilant with a team of police in plainclothes being deployed to keep close watch on public smokers, at the behest of CDO Chaudamani Sharma. However, Sharma said they were concentrating on an awareness campaign since not many people know that public smoking is a crime. “The campaign is yet to be implemented fully. We have prioritise creating awareness among the public.”
He said that the campaign has been reaching out to people through media. The local administration and the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) have been disseminating awareness through radio, television and newspapers.
MPR Spokesman Dhiraj Pratap Singh also backed Sharma’s claims that the main focus was to create awareness. “Punishment alone won’t discourage people. The first priority of the campaign is public awareness.” Police have been coordinating with the MoHP, NGOs and the DAO to raise awareness about smoking in public places.
The Act says those smoking in public places will be fined up to Rs 100 and the civil servants doing so will be liable for departmental action. Selling tobacco products to minors and pregnant women will incur a fine of up to Rs 10,000. The law also bans advertising and promotion of tobacco products.
Smoking in government offices, educational and health institutions, airports, public vehicles, daycare centres, religious places, old-age homes, orphanages, clubs, public toilets, industries, factories, theatres, cinema halls, hotels, restaurants, canteens, hostels, lodges and guesthouses have all been banned by the Act.