Call for tobacco sales ban as part of COVID-19 fight

A collective of nine medical professionals and anti-tobacco advocacy groups yesterday wrote to the President and the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPOC), calling for a ban on the sale of all tobacco products in Sri Lanka during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Signatories include the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (CCPSL), Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists, Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), and Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC), among others.

The missive released by the collective points out that tobacco smoking in various forms is known to increase the risk of smokers contracting the virus, and if infected, developing severe complications including death. “Furthermore, tobacco chewing can increase the risk of spreading the disease due to public spitting,” it stated. The collective points to South Africa and India, which have enacted similar policies, and calls on the Government to look favourably on its proposal.