Lanka: Smoking Deaths to Reach 40000 Per Year in SL-WHO

Source from:  Daily News (lk)  07/29/2013

Sri Lanka will see a possible drastic increase in smoking related deaths in the next two decades if preventive measures are not taken, WHO officials said. Smoking related deaths could reach 40,000 per year in Sri Lanka in the next two decades, Health Services Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala said. Addressing the certificate awarding ceremony of the workshop on Countering Tobacco Industry recently, Dr. Mahipla said that according to 2012 statistics on cancers in Sri Lanka It is revealed that lung cancer tops the list while oral cancer has taken second place.

Around 20,000 Sri Lankans die every year from various health complications caused due to tobacco use while 20 persons die daily due to heart attacks. Another 600 are admitted to hospitals daily due to heart attacks, he said.

The WHO sent a team of two health professionals to assist Sri Lankan health authorities to counterattack tobacco companies which have launched large scale promotional campaigns and campaigns against rules and regulations imposed by the Sri Lankan government on the harmful effects of tobacco and alcohol use.

The team members delivered lectures during their stay here. They also delivered lectures on how to minimise the use of tobacco and alcohol and counter attacking campaigns against the government's rules and regulations on tobacco and alcohol control .

Dr. Stella A. Biallous attached to Tobacco Policy International, US, Dr. Amando Peruga attached to the Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO, Headquarters and Dr. Edwin Salvadore, Technical Officer, WHO Headquarters visited Sri Lanka.

They took part in the National workshop on Countering Tobacco Industry' held at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. Sri Lanka is the first Asian country and the fourth in the world to ratify WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. (FCTC). Sri Lanka signed this Convention in 2003 and all countries which signed this Convention should implement relevant rules and regulations within a period of five years. Enditem