The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) proposed that there should be no tobacco sales within 100 metres of a school or places of religious worship.

NATA Chairman, Dr. Alan Ludowyke told the media yesterday (31) that tobacco and alcohol kills thousands of Sri Lankans and causes serious illnesses, the result of which is a massive social and economic cost which manifests as a loss of breadwinners, and the increase of malnourished children and poverty at the family level. It causes a major strain on the health system and the social fabric and also the economy of the country, he added.

‘We need food, not tobacco’ was announced as the theme of this year’s (2023) World No Tobacco Day by the World Health Organisation, aiming to raise awareness about alternative crop production for tobacco farmers, engaging them to grow sustainable and nutritious crops.

According to the 2020 Global Adult Tobacco Survey, in Sri Lanka, 3.2 million (19.4%) adults. 36.2% males and 4.9% females are using tobacco including smoked and smokeless tobacco varieties.

“So, our mission is to mobilise all social sectors to liberate our society from the harm caused by tobacco and alcohol, and our main objectives are to identify the policy on protecting public health and to make provisions, especially for children, against consuming tobacco and alcohol by curtailing their access to tobacco and alcohol products,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella told the media yesterday that the consumption of tobacco and alcohol should be reduced more, as otherwise it could cause cardiac disorders, strokes, and lung diseases, and lead to cancers. Perhaps, the alternative crop cultivation opportunity for tobacco farmers, which is sustainable and nutritious to mankind, needs to be made a priority, he noted.