What is consumer health ? Consumer Health

What is consumer health ? Consumer Health 

Consumers and Consumer's Health

Consumer is a person who consumes goods and services from the market. With this meaning of consumer, we can say that all the people are consumers because everybody purchases different sorts of goods and services from the market. According to consumer protection Act 2054 " consumer is a person or institution who consumers or uses the services and goods available in the market." In this respect consumer can be individual, a family, a community or a nation. A producer of goods or services may  be the consumer of other goods and services. So, every individual and institution of the world may be the consumer of one or another item.

Consumers' health means the state of health determined and affected by the use of goods and services from the market.

 The status of our health is dynamic. There are frequent ups and downs in its level. There are important roles of goods and services which we consume in our daily life. The trend of consumption plays important role in determining our health level.

If we have the knowledge of consumer's health education, we can make proper decision in selection of goods and services from the market and to exercise the consumers' rights to the maximum level. Except this, it provides the learning experiences that affect efficient and economical use of different products and services. The concept of consumers' health came into existence after the industrial revolution of Europe in 1750-1850 AD. It increased rapid urbanization and density of population. People had to face unemployment problem as well as existence of individualistic mentality. Therefore, people were compelled to involve in corruption. As a result, consumable goods were affected by adulteration. The first consumers' law was made in the United States of America. It had various provisions for the legal rights of consumers. The practice of cheating consumers by adulteration and wrong information is still in practice in our market. The modern age has increased anti-consumer behavior due to excessive competition in every sector. Morality, humanity, honesty and positive attitudes are displaced by money, crimes, and inhuman behaviors day in many sectors. Producers, distributors, and sellers of various commodities are not exceptions from such cases. In such situation, consumers must be aware of all sorts of such fraudulent activities against them. 

Life style and living process advances with the advancement of socialization and development of human beings. In the ancient time, people used to manage all the things themselves. There was barter system in the ancient time. People used to exchange the things to fulfill their needs. Nowadays, people spend money in the market to obtain things to fulfill their needs. They cannot produce all the things needed for them. There is specialization in production of commodities. Consumers, then, obtain those goods and other services from the market. 

Consumer's Rights

Though, the government had made different laws related to consumers' concerns, Consumers' Protection Act was enforced in the year 2054 BS in Nepal. People use low quality goods primarily due to three reasons. The reasons are lack of awareness , poverty, and negligence. The consumers' forum and other related agencies are raising voice for the consumer's right. This has helped to pressurize the government to formulate and implement the law relating to consumer's health. Consumer's Protection Act 2054 has provision for important rights of consumers. In order to safeguard consumer interest, eight consumer right are defined by UN Consumer Bill of Rights. They are also regarded as the right of consumers health. The rights are :

1. Right to Safety: safeguarding against goods that are hazardous to life and property.
2. Right to Information: consumers have the right to be informed regarding the price, quality, quantity, etc. of the products they buy.
3. Right to Choice: consumers should be provided with a wide variety of goods to choose from.
4. Right to be Heard: the right of the consumers to have their complaints heard.
5. Right to Satisfaction of Basic Needs : this right demands that people have access to basic essential goods and services: adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water, and sanitation.
6. Right to Redress: consumers have the right to seek redress regarding their complaints.
7. Right to Consumer Education: the right of consumers to be educated about their rights. 
8. Right to a Healthy Environment: this is the right to live and work in an environment that is non-threatening to the well-being of present and future generations. 

Essential Goods

Essential good is a physical item required by a consumer in order to sustain basic health status or life. Some essential goods produced by business operators include food, water gasoline and heating fuel, as well as residential building material that can be used to construct homes for shelter. Essential Commodities Control (Authorization) Act, 2017BS has clearly defined the essential commodities. According to section 2 of this act, "Essential Commodity" means any of the following commodities: 

1. Paddy, rice, maize (corn), wheat, millet, barley and their flour, maida or other identical food items, 
2. Rahar (yellow lentil) , mugim mas (black lentil) lentil, gram, pea, soybean and flour made there from and other identical food items,
3. Linseed , mustard seed sarsiyum (Yellow mustard seed sesame seed and other oilseed  and all kinds of oil,
4. Milk or any other food item made from the milk.
5. Sugarcane, molasses, sugar or other identical substances, 
6. Cotton or woolen clothing's , cotton and wool ,
7. Raw jute and goods prepared out of it,
8. kerosene, petrol, diesel and all types of lubricant,
9. Iron and goods made from the iron,
10. Cement, bricks, zinc plate etc. which are essential for the construction works,
11. Means of transportation and tire, tube and parts essential for such means of transportation,
12. Salt,
13. Medicines,
14. Any other goods or commodities as so prescribed by the Government of Nepal, from time to time , by a notified order. 

Importance of Consumers' Health Education

There are some fraudulent practices which harm the state of health and other aspects of consumers. In order to be safe from such effects, consumers must be aware of their rights and responsibilities. Consumers' health education helps consumers to identify the harmful practices and to fight against them. The importance of consumers' health can be mentioned as : 

i. Proper choice of consumers'  goods and services

When we are aware of the effects of low quality and adulterated food in our health, we search for quality goods . If we are not getting quality goods and services , we try for their alternative. For example, when a consumer knows that some shops sell low quality or adulterated  goods, they will not go to buy things in those shops.

ii. For the protection of personal health and public health

Consumers' health education helps to protect the health of an individual as well as of a group of people if it is expanded in the community. If community people are conscious about the adverse effects of using low quality goods and such practices in the market, they raise voices and take necessary actions against this. Such activities of people can contribute in controlling food adulteration, alteration in quality of goods, and fake services in the market.

iii. Awareness to the right and responsibilities of consumer

Generally, we believe on the shopkeeper's explanations about the goods . We consider it as a personal matter and a matter not to be discussed much . But, it is the duty of consumers to monitor the fraudulent activities and to protect the consumers' right. While buying goods we must see the brand, price, expiry date, etc. While getting services, we must see the  qualification and analyze the recommendation provided by them. In addition to these, the consumers must be aware of the rights of consumers.

Methods of Protecting Consumer's Health 

Consumers rights are afforded when a legislature enacts laws that prevent fraudulent and unfair business practices. This form of law is called Consumer Protection Law. In Nepal, Consumers' Protection Act, 2054Bs helps protect the consumer rights and consumers' health. Each country and state has their own restrictions on business practices; however , most fraud is prevented when consumers know their rights. Consumers' protections is also called by related research and report of any illegal activities when they happen. It is important to be a knowledgeable buyer to exercise the consumers' rights. 

Some of the major ways or methods of protecting consumers' health are discussed below :

1. Consumers are afforded the right to safety, making any marketing of products or products themselves unlawful if they are hazardous to health.
2. Consumers should be afforded the ability to choose their products. This has led to legislation against monopolies. If competition and choice are unavailable for certain products, the consumer must be given a fair price and quality. 
3. Consumers have the right to correct information to inform their buying decisions. This means they are protected against fraudulent or misleading advertising or information.
4. Consumers are given the right to be heard. They should be given recourse to file complaints or be heard by a tribunal. They can take action against illegal, unfair and fraudulent behaviors. 
5. Consumers should keep themselves in touch with consumer reports, price lists, and consumers' activities.
6. This is important that the service-trading personnel like medical personnel, lawyers and contractors must have legal registration with an authorized agency. 

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