Launched of the Global and Sri Lankan Tobacco Industry Interference ( TII) Index .

 Prees Conference 7th January 2026 @ 9.30am at the Courtyard by Marriott Colombo , Colombo City Center , Colombo 2 , Sri Lanka .

Insights into the Impact of Tobacco Industry Inteference on Sri Lanka's Tobacco Control Efforts:

Launch of the Global and Sri Lankan Tobacco Industry Interference (TIl) Index.

Despite Sri Lanka's long-standing commitment to tobacco control, tobacco use remains a serious and

persistent public health challenge. Approximately 1.5 million adults smoke in Sri Lanka, contributing

to nearly 50 tobacco-related deaths every day. Additionally, non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

account for 83% of all deaths in the country, with tobacco use being one of the four major risk factors,

posing a significant burden on the national healthcare system. Sri Lankans spend an estimated LKR 520

million daily on cigarettes, exacerbating financial hardships for individuals, families, and communities.

Amid these challenges, the tobacco industry continues to deploy deceptive, unethical, and evolving

strategies to sustain its market presence and replace their declining consumer base, specifically

targeting youth, children, non-smokers, and other vulnerable populations, directly undermining public

health goals.

Today, the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC), together with the Global Centre for Good

Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), launched the Global and Sri Lankan Tobacco Industry

Interference (TII) Index, shedding light on how tobacco industry strategies continue to affect public

health policies and tobacco control efforts in Sri Lanka.

State Parties to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

(FCTC) are obligated to protect their health policies by using Aticle 5.3 and its implemeting

guidelines, which empowers them to protect public health policies from commercial and other vested

interests. The TIl Index, an initiative launched in 2019, is a civil society review of how governments

implement the measures outlined under Article 5.3 of WHO FCTC and has been conducted once every

two years since its inception. The Global TII Index 2025 surveyed 100 countries in the Eastern

Mediterranean region, the Americas, Europe, South and Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region,

and is based on publicly available information on tobacco industry interference in countries and their

respective governments' responses to this interference, during the period 1" April 2023 to 31 March

2025.

According to the Global TIl Index 2025, Sri Lanka is ranked 45, falling within the 40-49 score range,

where a lower score reflects stronger performance. Notably, Sri Lanka's overall score has deteriorated

by three points compared to year 2023, indicating an increase in tobacco industry interference. This

deterioration is mainly attributed to the following factors identified under the Global Index.

An Approved charity vide Government Gazette No. 74 of 27, Noy. 1982

.Conftlict of lnterest Government oficals and tobacco industry links

Senior government offilals and relatives hold roles in the tobacco industIy, incuding board

and consultancy positions.

Senior government officials hold or have held leadership roles in tobacco compantes, rasing

serious contictot interest concerns,

Greenwashing practices to improve the tobacco industry's unethical image under the guise of

Corporate Social Responsibility (CsR).

Due to persistent interference by the tobacco industry, the implementation of the following propOsed

polley priorities has been significantly delayed, with some pending since 2019, undermining nationat

tobacco control efforts and placing hard won publie health gains achieved over the years at serious

risk

Developing a scientific tax system to ensure the accurate collection of tobacco product taxes

by the government.

Prohibition of the sale of single stick cigarettes.

Prohibition of malntaining tobacco retail outlets within 100 meters of an educational

institution or religious place.

• Making oftences under the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act into

cognizable offences,

Increasing fines and penalties for offences relating to the NATA Act.

• Discouraging totbacco cultivation and diverting tobacco farmers to other crops.

• Implementing plain packaging

Sri Lanka has demonstrated strong political commitment to tobacco control over the years. Being the

first country in the South-East Asia Region to ratify the WHO FCTC in 2003, several important tobacco

control policies were established. In addition, the enactmnent of the NATA Act in 2006 introduced

several significant tobacco control measures including prohibition of tobacco sales to individuals under

21, mandatory health warnings on tobacco packaging, increased taxation on cigarettes, restrictions on

mass media advertising and ban on smoking in public places. In line with FCTC Article 11, 80% pictorial

health warnings were implemented on cigarette packaging in 2015.

Yet, ensuring effective implementation of established policies also remain a challenge due to continued

industry interference. The findings of the Tl lndex further highlight the urgent need for stronger

safeguards, full implementation of Article 5.3, and greater transparency to protect public health

policymaking from vested interests.

Protecting future generations from tobacco-related harm demands decisive, transparent action that is

firmly protected from tobacco industry interference. Accordingly, ADC calls upon policymakers and all

relevant stakeholders to place public health above commercial interests, to expedite the establishment

and effective implementation of critical tobacco control policies without further delay, and to remain

vigilant in actively identifying, challenging, and preventing all forms of tobacco industry interference

in policy-making processes and public health efforts.

Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) Sri Lanka