http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/sri_lanka.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/16275-further-restrictions-on-smoking.html http://tobacco.org/news/332507.html An expert said yesterday Sri Lanka had the potential to introduce legislation calling for the total ban on tobacco consumption by those born after 2000. Singapore National University Professor A.J. Berrick told a seminar on tobacco consumption that academics had submitted a research paper on the possibility of stopping tobacco consumption altogether by restricting the access to tobacco by individuals born after 2000. Deputy Solicitor General Vijitha Malalgoda said there were practical difficulties in introducing such legislation but said it was a step in the right direction as it could make a significant impact on the reduction of tobacco consumption in the country. "I think it's a good move. Whether we can do it is a matter that should be considered. Up to now we don't have any legislation in this form but I see no reason why we can't introduce this to our local laws," Mr. Malalgoda said. Daily Mirror subs@wijeya.lk Sri Lanka Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/01/04/pol02.asp http://tobacco.org/news/331695.html Amendments to the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Act number 27 of 2006 are to be presented to Parliament by April, this year. Once amended, the Act will enable law enforcement officers to implement `Mathata Thitha’ (Full stop to tobacco and alcohol) policy in all public places especially roads and more vigorously, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said. According to Minister Sirisena once amended the Act will assist to implement President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s concept Mathata Thitha strictly. At the moment law enforcement officers are unable to take legal action against persons who use alcohol and smoke along public roads because public roads are not included in the list of public places listed in the Act. Daily News damith.web@lakehouse.lk (Nadira GUNATILLEKE) Sri Lanka Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=41962 http://tobacco.org/news/331230.html The Pictorial Health Warning regulation on tobacco products will be implemented very soon. The government made a promise in this regard, said Professor Carlo Fonseka, the Chairman of the National Authority on Tobacco & Alcohol. "Although this regulation should have been implemented in 2008, we are very late in implementing the law. Since the majority of smokers purchase cigarettes in stick form, there were various contradictory views in regard to implementation of this regulation. However now the government has decided to implement the regulation," he said. Professor Fonseka added that the Deputy Minister of Health had communicated the message that political authorities are expediting the process of implementation. Professor Fonseka pointed out that the tobacco industry had murdered 100 million people in the world in the 20th century. The World Health Organization estimates that in the 21st century, a trillion of people would die due to smoking. He made these comments at an exhibition and seminar held recently at the Auditorium of the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama to highlight the importance of implementing the regulation on Pictorial Health Warnings. This event was jointly organized by the National Cancer Institute, Cancer Care Association and the Jeewaka Foundation. The [Sri Lanka] Island Sri Lanka Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/12/22/news32.asp http://tobacco.org/news/331088.html An exhibition to raise awareness on the importance of introducing pictorial warnings on tobacco packaging, that depicts health risks of smoking, would be held today at the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama. The exhibition will illustrate pictorial warnings on cigarette packs in various countries, and will explain the necessity of implementing pictorial warnings in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has been the first Asian country and the fourth in the world to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the world's first international public health treaty. Daily News damith.web@lakehouse.lk (Rasika Somarathna ) Sri Lanka Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/11/20/sec04.asp http://tobacco.org/news/329031.html The effort to circumvent the law by manufacturers of beedi producers has been thwarted following the decision of the Court of Appeal recently. Although white Beedi manufacturers argued that their product does not fall within the ambit of law under the Tobacco Tax Act No 8 of 1999 and Tobacco Tax (Amendment) Act No 9 of 2004, Courts have held that all Beedi production was governed by law. At a discussion held recently on the developments of law relating to the tobacco industry, Attorney-at-Law Kalinga Indatissa disclosed that the knowledge on law relating to the Tobacco Act and its amendments have not been thoroughly understood by the public as well as the media that created problems. Referring to laws that are currently in operation he said they were designed by the British during their reign. “The thinking behind the laws were the thinking of the Britishers then. But times and systems have changed and the laws need to be amended to suit the present day society.” Sunday Observer damith.web@lakehouse.lk Sri Lanka Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/11/13/new02.asp http://tobacco.org/news/328738.html Tobacco smoking has dropped drastically in Sri Lanka during the past five years due to various steps taken by the Government to discourage smoking in public, a spokesman for the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) said. According to the latest NATA statistics the percentage of daily smokers in Sri Lanka, especially youngsters has dropped to 18 percent the lowest rate among 140 countries. NATA Chairman Prof. Carlo Fonseka told the Sunday Observer that banning the publication of tobacco related advertisements in newspapers and television, increasing the tax on cigarettes, banning smoking in public places, prohibiting cigarette sales for underaged children and holding smoking related awareness programs for school children are the main cause for the drop in tobacco smoking in the country. Quoting National Cancer Institute (NCI), Maharagama statistics, Prof. Fonseka said over 72 percent patients seek treatment in hospitals for oral and lung cancer caused due to cigarette smoking. Sunday Observer damith.web@lakehouse.lk (Ananda KANNANGARA) Sri Lanka Sun, 13 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/11/04/news40.asp http://tobacco.org/news/328298.html Cigarette production in Sri Lanka has gone down by 20 percent in the last five years. According to statistics, around 4,900 million cigarettes were produced per year and it had reduced to 4,200 million,said Sri Lanka Medical Association committee member Dr. Sajeewa Ranaweera. The percentage of daily smokers in Sri Lanka is 18.6 percent. It is the lowest rate among 140 countries. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) research done by the the percentage of cigarette consumption has reduced to five percent in Sri Lanka, he said. Dr. Sajeewa was addressing a workshop for media personnel on "How we can transform the tax policy on cigarettes as an advantage for the government". . . . "There are four methods to follow to reduce tobacco and alcohol consumption in the country. The four methods are stopping advertising and promoting tobacco and alcohol, increasing tax, banning smoking in public places and holding awareness programmes and health promotion campaigns for the public," Daily News damith.web@lakehouse.lk ( Ridma DISSANAYAKE) Sri Lanka Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/08/30/news25.asp http://tobacco.org/news/325489.html Tobacco and alcohol products are the two worst killers accounting for a majority of premature deaths and ailments across the world. In addition this causes many social and economic sequences that impinge negatively on social life, well-being and economic development. National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) chief Prof Carlo Fonseka made this observation addressing a press conference held yesterday at the Government Information Department. Accordingly, all programmes aired on television channels should not have smoking or drinking scenes. If there are any, in the full 20 seconds preceding the commencement of the programme, the TV channels should air the opening message provided by NATA without any obstruction or comment. Further whenever smoking or drinking scenes appear during a programme appropriate messages provided by NATA should be aired on the bottom or top of the screen in an area occupying not less than 1/5 of screen. The instructions apply to all TV channels, he stressed. . . . “Our primary objective is protecting children from being deceptively enticed to tobacco and alcohol use,” he added. Daily News damith.web@lakehouse.lk (Nethali STRUYS) Sri Lanka Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/06/29/news47.asp http://tobacco.org/news/325157.html “Schoolchildren are insidiously seduced through cartoons and movie clips to become tobacco addicts. “They also fall prey to indulge in alcohol when they emulate drunkards and drug addicts, and are often misled by their fathers who habitually drink and smoke,” said National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Consultant Dr Sajeewa Ranaweera. He was speaking at a workshop held at the Sudasuna hall, Chilaw on June 25. It was conducted for schoolchildren in the Puttalam district under the aegis of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol. Daily News damith.web@lakehouse.lk (Christie Fernando Chilaw special corr) Sri Lanka Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/08/18/news01.asp http://tobacco.org/news/325156.html Authorities are set to issue new regulations which allow television broadcasters to do away with mosaics or blurred images masking tobacco and alcohol scenes in their programmes but which require them to carry messages warning of the dangers and ill-effects of tobacco and alcohol when such programmes are aired. Broadcasters would be required to run health and other warning messages or images which show the illnesses, suffering, financial losses etc. due to tobacco and alcohol use at the bottom during the entire length of such scenes from September 1. “This mosaic mechanism has not been authorized by us. It has only brought the wrath of the public on the authorities,” National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) chief Prof Carlo Fonseka said. Prof Fonseka said that a series of new guidelines to prevent encouragement of tobacco and alcohol use in the entertainment media would come into effect from next month. These guidelines would include the non-inclusion of scenes which encourage tobacco and alcohol use, in future productions. NATA would also encourage producers to include scenes depicting the negative aspects of smoking and alcohol use. Daily News damith.web@lakehouse.lk ( Rasika SOMARATHNA) Sri Lanka Thu, 18 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/08/21/imp04.asp http://tobacco.org/news/325155.html It was reported in our sister paper the Daily News on Thursday that authorities are set to issue new regulations which allow television broadcasters to do away with mosaics or blurred images masking tobacco and alcohol scenes in their programmes. Instead, they will be required to carry messages warning of the dangers and ill-effects of tobacco (smoking) and alcohol when such scenes/programs are aired. Such measures are vital because in Sri Lanka both tobacco and alcohol are responsible for the loss of over 40,000 lives yearly. This new regulation is a move in the right direction. . . . But by running a message on the bottom of the story on the pitfalls of tobacco and alcohol, the viewers are reminded of the inherent dangers of these products without necessarily ruining their enjoyment of the programme. National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) chief Prof Carlo Fonseka has also said that a series of new guidelines to prevent the encouragement of tobacco and alcohol use in the entertainment media would come into effect from next month. After all, there is solid evidence that modes of entertainment such as films, teledramas and music greatly impact on people's day-to-day attitudinal behaviours. These guidelines would include the non-inclusion of scenes which encourage tobacco and alcohol use, in future productions. This, too, is a commendable move. This will give directors a clean slate to work with - they now know that scenes containing tobacco and alcohol use should not be included (unless absolutely essential to the plot) . . . There are two other aspects that the authorities should consider: subliminal advertising and product placement. Sunday Observer damith.web@lakehouse.lk Sri Lanka Sun, 21 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/08/08/news14.asp http://tobacco.org/news/324511.html The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) called for the introduction of necessary laws which would require the industry to include pictorial health warnings on all tobacco packaging to show the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use. Pictures of deceased lungs, oral cancer, wasted gums, children afflicted due to second-hand smoke etc. should be displayed covering at least 50 per cent of the pack to make smokers aware of the possible health complications due to smoking, NATA said. NATA also said that Sri Lanka had not yet fulfilled its obligation to include pictorial health warnings on tobacco packagings under the WHO sponsored Frame Work Convention on Tobacco Control introduced in 2005 (as a signatory to the FCTC Sri Lanka should have introduced pictorial warnings by 2009). Daily News damith.web@lakehouse.lk (Rasika SOMARATHNA) Sri Lanka Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/07/31/new42.asp http://tobacco.org/news/324308.html The National Cancer Institute (NCI), Maharagama will launch a cancer awareness program islandwide shortly to educate schoolchildren on the hazards of cigarette smoking. According to reports over 18,000 new cancer patients seek treatment at the NCI every year and the majority of them are affected with cancer due to cigarette smoking. Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa of the NCI told the Sunday Observer that over 75 percent of oral and lung cancer was caused due to cigarette smoking and tobacco consumption and it is now time for responsible officials to take tough action in this regard. Although there was a significant drop in cigarette smoking among the younger generation it is the duty of teachers and parents to create awareness on the hazards of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Sunday Observer damith.web@lakehouse.lk (Ananda Kannangara) Sri Lanka Sun, 31 Jul 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nation.lk/2011/06/12/news9.htm http://tobacco.org/news/322047.html Smoking kills 20,000 people every year and is the second main cause of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which collectively head the list of morbidity and mortality in Sri Lanka, Health Ministry officials have warned. . . . Around 350 people with these diseases are reported to die every day according to hospital statistics. “Tobacco use is the second main reason for their deaths,” Health Ministry sources told The Nation. Recent surveys indicate that the current prevalence of tobacco use in the country is 29% among males and 2.6 % among women. Although less women smoke, more women chew tobacco which leads to oral cancer, which is more common among females, statistics reveal. To curb this wide prevalence of tobacco use, the government enacted a National Tobacco & Alcohol Act (NATA) in 2006, which included a ban on advertisements on cigarette smoking in print and electronic media. However, despite a reduction in both cigarette smoking and tobacco use, the numbers of smokers are still unacceptably high, as revealed by recent statistics. The Nation Sri Lanka Tue, 21 Jun 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/05/29/spe01.asp http://tobacco.org/news/320631.html Sri Lanka, a Party to the Treaty, is one of the most prominent success stories in the fight against tobacco use. It has taken many measures to curb smoking and the new laws passed a couple of years ago give law enforcement authorities enhanced powers to deal with tobacco-related offences. Yet, millions of cigarettes are sold daily and nearly 20,000 persons die each year in Sri Lanka from tobacco-related complications. These are precious lives that could be saved just by one single act - giving up smoking for good. Doctors and health campaigners around the world, including those in Sri Lanka, will be urging smokers to give up their habit. They will point out the many benefits that stopping smoking can bring - including better overall health, more money and higher fertility. . . . The tobacco industry, while outwardly showing signs of complying with international anti-smoking laws, resorts to various means to spread the habit worldwide, especially among youth. With tobacco advertising completely banned since 2008, they are finding novel methods to popularise cigarettes. It is important to defeat these attempts at local and international level. The media too must play a more pro-active role in tobacco prevention. No country has so far completely banned tobacco, the only legally available drug in most countries. But the idea is to implement various measures to discourage smoking to the point that lighting up is almost impossible anywhere except at one's home. If more people give up smoking either voluntarily or through the force of restrictive laws, it will be a major victory for governments and health services worldwide. It will help millions of unnecessary deaths, save a vast amount of money (the health cost of smoking is enormous) and result in a healthier next generation. And we will all be able to breathe some fresh air, at last. Sunday Observer damith.web@lakehouse.lk (Pramod DE SILVA) Sri Lanka Sun, 29 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT