Table 2.

Tobacco control events

Year	Political actions (including by the government)	Tobacco control actions	Tobacco industry actions
April 1976^16,17	Nepal required statutory health warning labels (‘Cigarette smoking is injurious to health’). The warning with 3 mm type was to cover 5% on the front panel of the pack (within WHO’s recommendation of 4%−8%^107,108)		Ignored the law.
September 1986¹⁰⁹	The Transportation Ministry banned smoking inside ministry premises in 1986 but never implemented it.³⁸	Tobacco control campaign committee formed by NCRS as an informal group from different sectors. NCRS was founded by a physician for the royal palace, and the committee included royal family members and former ministers.
April 1988²⁴		First no-smoking day organised by NCRS. On 1988 World Health Day, NCRS and the informal tobacco control committee requested that the government ban tobacco advertising on radio and television, and ban smoking in hotels, bars, restaurants, public places, government offices and buses, and, on domestic flights and for at least 1 hour on international flights.
November 1990	King permitted a new democratic constitution.	In 1991, Nepal established a multiparty parliament and its first democratic government. Tobacco control advocates pursued democracy alongside political leaders and parties, especially the Nepali Congress and Nepal Communist Party,^8,9,23 which fostered favourable relations between politicians and advocates.
May 1992²⁷	Council of Ministers passes executive order banning tobacco smoking in public places (government offices, hospitals, public transportation (except taxis), airports, theatres/cinemas, public meeting places and airline flights not covered by the 1990 ban)		Ignored the law.
July 1993²⁹	Nepal government started collecting health tax on tobacco products.		Lobbied government to block additional increases.
March 1995¹¹⁰	State-owned Radio Nepal announced it would no longer accept tobacco and beer advertising.
May 1997³³		Memorandum against tobacco advertising, along with 100 000 signatures collected by NCRS and MSMT and submitted to the Health Minster
April 1998⁴¹	Inland Revenue Department claimed excise tax underpaid by STC and filed case in court asking that the STC pay tax based on their actual production.		Sued to block implementation.
June 1998³⁴	Council of Ministers passes executive order banning cigarette advertisement in all electronic media.		Ignored law.
December 2000⁴	Ministry of Health Nepal drafts tobacco control bill but did not submit it to Parliament. Bill not introduced. Bill included to ban advertising cigarettes and liquor in electronic and print media, prohibit smoking in public places (government offices, parks, hospitals, schools, colleges and universities) but not private workplaces, require textual health warning labels, require a retail license to sell tobacco, prohibit financial institutions from making loans to cigarette and liquor producers and establish fines up to 25 000 Nepali rupees (US$350) for violators.		Lobby against the bill through different allies.
February 2001	Following the royal palace massacre in February 2001,² successful businessman and STC shareholder Prince Gyanendra Shah was crowned King. As a prince, he had refused to pay several government fines and avoided conviction for corruption, tobacco and other smuggling.^48,49 The new King declared a state of emergency in November 2001, dissolving Parliament and enforcing martial law in February 2002.
May 2003⁵⁴		Non-smokers’ Rights Association of Nepal files case in the Supreme Court against advertisement and promotion activities of tobacco industry.	Defended in the Court and ignored to apply existing rules.
December 2003^8,23	Nepal signs the WHO FCTC.		Lobbied government and tried to block.
May 2005⁶⁰		Motor rally campaign against tobacco organised by NCRS.
June 2005⁵⁵		Forum for Protection of Public Interest files case in the Supreme Court against the government of Nepal, asking to ban smoking in all public places and all types of advertisements related to tobacco products and demands implementation of tobacco control policy. There was no policy on tobacco control in Nepal, and these bans were based on the executive orders that were not implemented.	Defended in the court and ignored law existing rules.
May 2006^61,62		Anti-smoking rally in different cities organised by NCRS.
May 2006^61,62		NCRS submits memorandum to the government demanding ratification of the FCTC and a tobacco control policy in Nepal.	Lobbied government, legislatures, bureaucrats and tried to block.
June 2006^55-57	Supreme Court of Nepal orders the government to ban smoking in public places, tobacco promotion and tobacco advertisement; to promote awareness against tobacco; and to enact a comprehensive tobacco control law.		Ignored the court order to apply existing rules.
November 2006⁶³	House of Representatives (Parliament) ratifies the WHO FCTC.		Ignored rules.

FCTC, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; MSMT, Mrigendra Samjhana Medical Trust; NCRS, Nepal Cancer Relief Society; STC, Surya Tobacco Company Pvt. Ltd.