S.Lanka says cigarette ban delayed due to industry (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

S.Lanka says cigarette ban delayed due to industry

COLOMBO, June 7 (Reuters) - Pressure from the tobacco industry has delayed
Sri Lanka's plans to ban alcohol and cigarette advertising on radio,
television and print media from the beginning of this year, a government
official said on Monday.

``The legislation was prepared by the attorney general's department, but
there are delays in getting it passed. There was pressure from the
industry,'' said Olcott Gunasekera, a member of a presidential task force
on tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.

But Gunasekera told a news conference the government was committed to
implementing the ban aimed at reducing the country's tobacco and alcohol
consumption.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who won the World Health Organisation's
Tobacco Free Award for her efforts to curb smoking in Sri Lanka, set up
the task force shortly after being elected in 1994.

In 1997, the task force recommended the ban on advertisements, sale of
cigarettes in all state institutions and also asked the government to
raise the excise duty on cigarettes as a measure to clampdown on smoking.

The government last year announced it would ban tobacco and alcohol
advertisements at the beginning of 1999 but later said it was reviewing
its plans following differing opinions.

``The stand of the government is clear. There is strong political
committee for the first time against the consumption of tobacco and
alcohol,'' Gunasekera said, adding that Kumaratunga last week set up a
special unit to coordinate and implement the government's policy on
tobacco and alcohol.

He said the president had allocated 30 million rupees ($423,908) to the
sports ministry which has been asked not to seek sponsorship from
cigarette and liquor companies, the country's biggest tax payers and
sponsors of sporting events.

Sri Lankans smoke nearly six billion cigarettes a year, a billion of which
are either smuggled into the market or illegally manufactured.