Sri Lanka to introduce plain packaging of tobacco products

Sri Lanka is mooting introduction of plain packaging of tobacco products that prohibits use of logos, colours and brand images, its President Maithripala Sirisena said here today.
Delivering a special address at the inaugural session of the7th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP7) to World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), he said his country has beenaddressing the tobacco issue in numerous other ways, including by adopting strict laws.
He said he was grateful to his "good friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi for showing commitment on the subject of tobacco control by hosting the conference.
"My minister of health is proposing to introduce plain packaging which is another important measure in the near future. We thank FCTC for the excellent technical support," he said in his address.

He said that in line with FCTC, Sri Lanka has set up a National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol.
The Sri Lankan President, who arrived in India yesterday, said that his country has accepted various recommendations from FCTC and is one of the first countries in South East Asian region to sign and ratify it.

"Since I assumed the President's office, tobacco and alcohol control has been on top of my national agenda. I have set up a presidential task force to monitor situation related to drugs and narcotics," he said.
"I should be grateful to my good friend Narendra Modi for their commitment to the subject of this conference," he said.

He said that Sri Lanka has immensely benefited from the information that WHO FCTC has generated over these years in framing in its policies and regulations for tobacco control.
"We are also addressing the tobacco issue in numerous other ways, by having adopted strict laws including banning smoking in public spaces, prohibiting advertisement of tobacco," he said.
India is hosting the conference for the first time where around 1,500 delegates are participating from around 180 countries along with other observers in official relations with the WHO FCTC Secretariat in Geneva.
The WHO FCTC is the first global evidence-based public health treaty that recognises the right of all people to the highest standard of health.

The treaty was developed by countries in response to the globalisation of the tobacco epidemic. There are at present 180 Parties to the Convention.