Several smoke-free laws mooted

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Authorities are making final preparations to introduce several smoke-free laws including pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging and a 100 per cent smoking ban in public places,National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Chairman Prof.Carlo Fonseka said.

Several organizations in the forefront of the anti-tobacco campaign had earlier charged on several occasions that the above smoke free laws were being delayed.

In response Prof. Fonseka stated; “we received a letter from the Legal Draftsman requesting that another alteration be made with regard to certain wordings in the proposed legislation. “We would make the necessary changes and send them back without delay” he said.

According to Prof. Fonseka the Legal Draftsman is slated to handover the document containing proposed legislation to the Health Ministry for implementation after putting the finishing touches.

Representatives from Jeewaka Foundation and Cancer Care Association said they had met Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena recently to request the speedy implementation of the Pictorial Health Warning regulation in Sri Lanka.

The minister on the occasion had told the representatives that he too was very keen in implementing the above measures. He said that the proposed measures had been sent to the Legal Draftsman's Department and were awaiting their reply, representatives of the two

organizations said.

The World Health Organization in 2005 along with 174 countries entered into a International Tobacco Control Treaty. Sri Lanka was the first Asian country to ratify the treaty in 2003. Although Parties to the treaty should have implemented the 11th Article of the Pictorial Health Warnings on all tobacco products by the end of 2008, it is yet to be done in Sri Lanka.

Many countries including those in Asia who have implemented PHW regulation are reaping good results. Singapore, Thailand, Uruguay, Canada, Australia have reported a decrease in smoking prevalence, the WHO said.

According to the World Health Organization, smoking is the leading preventable cause of death. About five million people die annually due to smoking in the world. One person dies to smoking every six seconds in the world. While 100 million people died of smoking in the 20th century, the number is expected to increase to one billion in the 21st century. In Sri Lanka over 20,000 in a population of 20 million die every year due to smoking.