Around 17% Addicted To Cigarette Smoking In Sri Lanka-Smoking Among st Hospital Minor Staff Is On The Increase

Around 17% of the Sri Lankan Population  nearly 1.5 million are addicted to Cigarette Smoking at present according to the President Of the National Alcohol and Tobacco Authority Dr.Palitha Abeykoon..

Addressing a Media Seminar held today(29) at the  Health Education Bureau in Colombo regarding the "World No Tobacco Day" falls on 31st of May ,Dr.Abeykoon has stated that each local Cigarette Smoker smokes five Cigarettes per day according to the statistics.

Cigarette Smoking among Health workers especially among minor staff is on the increase  and Health authorities should take steps to prevent this trend he has stressed.

Present government has taken various steps to deter Cigarette Smoking including increasing of Tobacco Taxes,Introduced  Cigarette Packs which  80% covers with pictorial health warnings related to tobacco smoking ,declaring no Tobacco Zones and due to introduce new laws on banning selling Cigarette and tobacco related products within 500 yards of a School Dr.Abeykoon said.

Although the authorities focused only on Cigarette Smoking "Beedi "is more dangerous than Cigarettes as it contains higher amount of Nicotine he has further stated.

Meanwhile Experts who have expressed their views on Tobacco Advertising has stated that young people are getting more attracted to Cigarettes,Tobacco related products as well as Narcotics and Alcohol due to  advertising .People should avoid posing photographs with  persons who addicted to Tobacco related products Narcotics and Alcohol and publish them publicly as it has proved that someone will follow that  and gets addicted to them.