KATHMANDU, April 16: The Consumer Awareness Campaign-Nepal (CAC-N) has expressed strong objection to the government's plan to issue licenses to alcohol, cigarette, and tobacco (gutkha) industries.
CAC-N Chairperson Krishna Prasad Bhandari, in a statement, urged the government not to permit the production of items harmful to public health. Citing media reports, CAC-N claimed that Industry Minister Damodar Bhandari is preparing to grant licenses to new industries to serve the interests of industrialists.
License mandatory to sell tobacco products from today
In a case where the Supreme Court issued a directive to control tobacco products, CAC-N raised concerns that granting licenses to such industries would constitute contempt of court. President Bhattarai stated that the campaign has also urged Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to take the issue seriously for the protection of public health and property.
Presenting data that tobacco consumption causes the death of more than 27,000 Nepalis annually, President Bhattarai urged Minister Bhandari to immediately halt the license distribution process.
CAC-N expressed concern that allowing such industries to operate—disregarding the fact that tobacco products lead to significant medical expenses for the treatment of diseases like cancer, asthma, and heart disease—is troubling. It has called for a reversal of the decision, stating that it benefits only a few industrialists.
