Impact of a Nationwide Youth-Led Anti-Tobacco Campaign Initiative in Nepal
1
MBBS, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara, Nepal
2
Department of Public Health, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
3
Department of Surgery, Nepalgunj Medical College, Kohalpur, Nepal
4
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
5
Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Tobacco causes over 27,000 deaths annually in Nepal, with adolescent initiation driving lifelong addiction. Despite strong legislation - 90-100% pictorial health warnings (2024), bans on sales to minors, and restrictions near schools, weak enforcement and e-cigarettes/vapes sustain adolescent tobacco use. In response, Nepal Health Corps (NHC), and the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), implemented a nationwide school-based anti-tobacco campaign to improve adolescents’ tobacco-related knowledge, attitudes, and advocacy.
METHODS:
The Nationwide Anti-Tobacco Campaign 2025 was conducted from February to July 2025 across all seven provinces of Nepal. Trained medical and public health student volunteers delivered standardized 1–2-hour interactive sessions in 90 public and private schools to students in Grades 6–12. A pre–post questionnaire design assessed knowledge of tobacco harms, addiction, passive smoking, and willingness to engage in peer advocacy. Aggregated quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and complemented by qualitative stakeholder insights.
RESULTS:
A total of 6,160 students participated (55% boys, 45% girls), representing 90 schools (60% public, 40% private) from urban (80%) and rural (20%) settings. Correct identification of nicotine as the addictive component of tobacco increased from approximately 70% pre-session to 98% post-session. Knowledge of passive smoking improved from ~50% to ~90%, while correct identification of non-smoking tobacco products increased from ~60% to ~95%. Willingness to participate in peer support and tobacco-free advocacy rose from ~55% pre-session to ~85% post-session with 2,968 students (48.18%) volunteered to serve as “Tobacco Champions” post-session. Persistent challenges included easy access to tobacco near schools, peer pressure, and normalization of vaping.
CONCLUSIONS:
This large-scale, youth-led school-based intervention improved tobacco-related knowledge and advocacy intentions among adolescents across Nepal, supporting peer-driven tobacco control strategies for health equity and reinforcing evidence on the effectiveness of similar-age peer education in schools.
Tobacco causes over 27,000 deaths annually in Nepal, with adolescent initiation driving lifelong addiction. Despite strong legislation - 90-100% pictorial health warnings (2024), bans on sales to minors, and restrictions near schools, weak enforcement and e-cigarettes/vapes sustain adolescent tobacco use. In response, Nepal Health Corps (NHC), and the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), implemented a nationwide school-based anti-tobacco campaign to improve adolescents’ tobacco-related knowledge, attitudes, and advocacy.
METHODS:
The Nationwide Anti-Tobacco Campaign 2025 was conducted from February to July 2025 across all seven provinces of Nepal. Trained medical and public health student volunteers delivered standardized 1–2-hour interactive sessions in 90 public and private schools to students in Grades 6–12. A pre–post questionnaire design assessed knowledge of tobacco harms, addiction, passive smoking, and willingness to engage in peer advocacy. Aggregated quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and complemented by qualitative stakeholder insights.
RESULTS:
A total of 6,160 students participated (55% boys, 45% girls), representing 90 schools (60% public, 40% private) from urban (80%) and rural (20%) settings. Correct identification of nicotine as the addictive component of tobacco increased from approximately 70% pre-session to 98% post-session. Knowledge of passive smoking improved from ~50% to ~90%, while correct identification of non-smoking tobacco products increased from ~60% to ~95%. Willingness to participate in peer support and tobacco-free advocacy rose from ~55% pre-session to ~85% post-session with 2,968 students (48.18%) volunteered to serve as “Tobacco Champions” post-session. Persistent challenges included easy access to tobacco near schools, peer pressure, and normalization of vaping.
CONCLUSIONS:
This large-scale, youth-led school-based intervention improved tobacco-related knowledge and advocacy intentions among adolescents across Nepal, supporting peer-driven tobacco control strategies for health equity and reinforcing evidence on the effectiveness of similar-age peer education in schools.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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