Sri Lanka Bans Tobacco, Areca Nut Based Products

Centre for Research in Oral Cancer Director Professor W.M. Tilakaratne said that all products containing tobacco and areca nut are banned as of Wednesday in Sri Lanka.

Tilakaratne announced the ban at a press briefing at the Government Information Centre in Colombo on Tuesday.

The amended Tobacco Products Regulations Act, Gazetted on September 1, 2016 bans the manufacture, import, and sale of smokeless tobacco products, e-cigarettes containing tobacco, and flavoured, coloured, or sweetened cigarettes.

With this, the sale, manufacture, promotion and importation of products including tobacco and areca nut will be banned, Prof W.M. Tilakaratne said.

Furthermore he said that selling betel with smokeless tobacco and areca nut is banned and strict action will be taken against tobacco products such as ‘Babul’, ‘Pampara’ and ‘Bita’.

He said that these decisions were made with the rise of death relating to oral cancer in Sri Lanka.

Around four people die in Sri Lanka per day, of diseases related to chewing tobacco, he said.

Tilakaratne also said that oral cancer is the most common type of cancer in Sri Lanka.