🚭 NATA Proposes Generational Smoking Ban for Sri Lanka

The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) has formally submitted a concept paper to Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, advocating for a smoking ban targeting individuals born after 2010. This proposal aims to create a "tobacco-free generation" through significant legal reforms and regulatory amendments. • Public Health Impact: Approximately 80% of deaths in Sri Lanka are linked to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with tobacco and alcohol cited as the primary risk factors. • Mortality Figures: The substances account for an estimated 22,000 annual deaths locally. Globally, tobacco causes 8 million deaths per year, including 1.2 million from passive smoking. • Economic & Social Rationale: Beyond mortality, NATA highlighted the heavy economic burden and the role of these substances as gateways to broader drug use. • Policy Objective: The initiative, led by Dr. Ananda Ratnayake, seeks to strengthen the existing framework to mitigate the disease burden on the national healthcare system and improve workforce productivity. _Source: NATA Concept Paper (Provisional)_