Presiding over the inaugural sessions of the National Summit on Tobacco held under the theme 'Towards a Tobacco Free Sri Lanka' yesterday (29), at the BMICH, the President said a Presidential Task Force has been established to achieve the objective. He said that the previous government failed to take necessary measures to control alcohol and tobacco circulation.
The conference, jointly organized by the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol, the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization, will be held today too.
The President reiterated that the programmes carried out during the past five years to curb the tobacco and alcohol menace under his leadership were very successful. The success of these programmes enabled him to win the World No Tobacco Day Award 2013 and to receive 2013 Harvard Health Leaders' title presented by the Harvard School of Public Health, US, he added.
But unfortunately, the then leadership did not have the courtesy to acknowledge it, which causes pain when I think of it even today, the President said.
The President noted that a special programme is being implemented this year to eliminate usage of tobacco, alcohol and drugs. He added that four million school children could be used as the best medium in molding a society free of drugs.
The President expressed appreciation for the cooperation extended to him by the WHO and NGOs including the ADDIC, National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol, all health staff in implementing the tobacco and alcohol control programmes in Sri Lanka during the five year period he was functioning as the Minister of Health.
Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne said the Tobacco Bill was presented to Parliament and passed within 100 days.
Chairman of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Dr. Palitha Abeykoon and Director General of Health Services Specialist Physician Palitha Mahipala also spoke. WHO Country Representative Aravind Matur read the message sent by the Regional Director of the WHO's South East Asian Region Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh.
