LNP – 11.6 percent youngsters addicted to smoking, 18 percent to drinking -survey

A recent study reveals that 11.6 percent of youngsters aged 15 to 21 in Sri Lanka are actively smoking and 18 percent actively drink alcohol.

The Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) which is a resource center, promoting reduction of alcohol and tobacco use by providing services to government and public, conducted this survey which spanned across 11 districts.

The ADIC says “Majority of the initiations have occurred at social gatherings. Similar studies found that peer pressure and influence is a key factor which drives this behavior. All sorts of promotions by the tobacco industry through media and other platforms also play a significant role in building up a positive image of their products among vulnerable groups.”

The ADIC says that ,however, the overall trend of alcohol use within the last decade depicts a decline in the consumption of alcohol. “The data indicates a sharp decline in total alcohol production after 2022, and a continued rise in excise tax revenue, possibly influenced by the government’s successive increases in excise duties on alcohol products.”

According to the results in the survey 36.5 percent of the survey participants have quit smoking and 20.9 percent of the current smokers have reduced their smoking at the time of administering the survey. A further 27.9 percent had been successful in quitting alcohol consumption at the time of administering the survey.

According to Central Bank data and statistics, a 20 percent increase in excise duty on cigarettes implemented during 2023 have contributed to an increase in government revenue due to cigarette excise duty by LKR 7.7 billion, while cigarette production has reduced by 521.5 million sticks, an 18 percent reduction compared to the previous year.

The ADIC says that prohibiting tobacco sales within a 100 meter radius of educational institutes, effective implementation of the NATA act and ceasing the issuance of temporary liquor licenses and stop granting liquor licenses under the pretext of the tourism industry will be implemented in the future.