The initiative, scheduled for October 3 to 10, coincides with World Temperance Day. The health costs due to the use (or abuse) of alcohol in the country are around 726 million euros. Every year there are 20,000 alcohol-related deaths and associated illnesses. A decalogue to relaunch the fight against abuse.
Colombo () – A week of raising awareness on the issue of alcohol, the social costs of addiction and related social problems. This is the initiative launched by the Sri Lanka Temperance Association, which from October 3, World Temperance Day, until the 10th of the same month promotes a series of related initiatives and events. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place this afternoon at the Sri Dharmavijayaloka Viharaya Buddhist temple in Pannipitiya, a suburb of Colombo district, under the patronage of Sri Lanka Temperance Movement President Ittapane Dharmalankara Mahanayake Thero.
The Alcohol and Drug Information Center (Adic) states that the health and economic cost in the country due to the use (or abuse) of alcohol is 237,000 million rupees (about 726 million euros). More than 30 million people die each year in the world from diseases and accidents related to substance use. In Sri Lanka alone, the number of deaths from alcohol and alcohol-related diseases is about 20 thousand each year; To this we must add the almost 35 thousand children who lose their parents and the 18 thousand wives on the island who lose their husbands for this reason.
Still according to data published by Adic, almost 50 Sri Lankans die prematurely every day due to alcohol consumption, which also has economic repercussions: the substance, in fact, does not turn out to be a source of income for the country, despite the fact that the Government received 165 billion rupees (more than 500 million euros) from alcohol taxes in 2022, according to a study by the United Nations Development Fund (Source – Investment Case For Alcohol Control In Sri Lanka 2022 – UNDP) published last year.
The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (Nata) Act by Order No. 27 of 2006 prohibited alcohol and tobacco advertising in Sri Lanka. However, in violation of current laws, alcohol companies continue to promote the sale and consumption of alcohol targeting the entire population, including children and young people, in an unethical and illegal manner. Children and young people,” explains a note from Adic, “are a key target for alcohol companies, which aim to attract new consumers to their product” instead of explaining its harmful effects, confirmed by the numerous “people who die prematurely.” due to alcohol consumption.”
Hence the call for moderation in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which could benefit the entire country, also and above all for a reduction in health costs, an improvement in general health and greater harmony in the family. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) itself has repeatedly noted that tax policies on alcohol are among the most effective, cost-effective and scientifically proven control measures.
In this regard, Sampath El Suero, Executive Director of Adic, outlines a decalogue that provides, among other things, specific taxes; application of existing regulations to reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages, similar to the laws that combat tobacco consumption; application of regulations to control illegal liquor and support programs that discourage its use and abuse, especially among the youngest; formulation and implementation of counseling, treatment and other services and programs necessary to free alcohol addicts; and work to prevent interference from the alcohol industry in order to weaken existing policies and prevent the introduction of new policies to counter its spread.
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