Sri Lanka: Supermarkets Used to Promote Smoking

Source from:  The Nation (lk)  05/27/2013

Anti-tobacco activists claimed last week that tobacco companies have started to use supermarkets to advertise and market their products.

Chairman, Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) Olcott Gunasekera told The Nation that with pending cases regarding graphic pictorial on cigarette cartons to be heard before the Supreme Court soon, companies have opted less direct methods for advertising, especially by displaying them above the cashiers in supermarkets. "This easily catches the eyes of youth and children," he said.

He added that Australian legislature now requires cartons to have a dull, plain brown packaging. This is meant to reduce the number attracted to the colorful cartons.

World No Tobacco Day, declared by World Health Organization (WHO) falls on May 31 and the theme for the year is 'Ban Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship (TAPS)'. Sri Lanka too will be working towards creating awareness among the public about the use of tobacco and has been doing so for a long time.

Gunasekera also stressed on the deaths caused by tobacco. Of the deaths per year in Sri Lanka, 65% are non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. NCDs are primarily caused by the consumption of alcohol, poor food habits, lack of exercise and tobacco. Many die or fall ill before the age of 60 due to their smoking habits. Thus the country is deprived of many mature individuals, which affects the economy and development. "Around 20,000 to 22,000 die yearly because of tobacco, yet the company is not held liable," Gunasekera said.

British American Tobacco is a large shareholder of the Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) Gunasekera added, thus the profits of the sale of tobacco in Sri Lanka rarely remains in the country itself. He further added that there is no addition of funds and no creation of wealth, although the innocent tax payers' money is spend on treating those who fall victim to the biggest known killer. Gunasekera stressed on a change of legislation that would hold the tobacco companies liable for the illnesses and death caused by smoking. Enditem