Bhaktapur, May 4: Seventy three people on average die every day in the country due to tobacco consumption, according to General Secretary of Right to Health and Tobacco Control Network Nepal Purnabhakta Duwal.     
Speaking at a school-level awareness campaign started by the Youth Creative Society on Friday, Suwal said tobacco consumption is also costing the country Rs 47 billion annually.     
The Tobacco Products Regulation Act prohibits the sale of tobacco to children under 16 years of age and prohibits the sale and consumption of tobacco within 100 meters of the school. The school-level awareness campaign is being organised with the aim of keeping children away from tobacco consumption.   
Also on the occasion, Dr Aditya Ranjit of Ganeshman Singh Memorial Hospital called upon the students to work to spread the message against tobacco from house to house to protect the society from cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and other diseases caused by tobacco consumption including smoking. He emphasized that the state should enforce ban on smoking in public places as a person who smokes not only makes himself sick but also makes his family and people around him sick.     
President of Youth Creative Society, Sharada Lama, said that students should be sensitized to keep them away from tobacco addiction that could start since a young age. – RSS