Nearly 22,000 deaths are reported each year in Sri Lanka due to tobacco and cigarette use, according to the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre.
The Centre noted that non-communicable diseases account for 83% of all deaths in the country, with tobacco use identified as one of the four major risk factors contributing to this burden. It also revealed that around 1.5 million adults in Sri Lanka are addicted to smoking.
Chairman of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol, Dr. Ananda Rathnayake, stated that globally, a death caused by tobacco use is reported every six seconds. He made these remarks at a media briefing in Colombo titled “The Impact of Tobacco Industry Interference on Tobacco Control Efforts in Sri Lanka.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Sajeeva Ranavira, who also addressed the briefing, pointed out that taxes imposed on cigarettes have been reduced since 2021, raising concerns over the impact on tobacco control efforts.
