The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) has warned that tobacco and alcohol use are responsible for around 200 diseases in Sri Lanka.
These remarks were made during a workshop held today (November 5) to raise awareness about reducing the use of smokeless tobacco and alcohol.
Prof. Hemantha Amarasinghe, addressing the event, said that 110 people die every day due to tobacco and alcohol consumption.
“Tobacco and alcohol cause 200 major diseases. As usage continues to rise, the number of deaths increases too. Despite repeated awareness campaigns, betel nut use also remains unchanged,” he noted.
NATA Chairman Dr. Ananda Ratnayake said that the economic impact of tobacco use is equally alarming.
“We have a serious situation. Tobacco doesn’t kill instantly, but it drains national resources. Around Rs. 204 billion is spent annually on patients — an amount sufficient to build three expressways and two Moragahakanda reservoirs. That’s how much money is going up in smoke,” he said.
