SLMA proposal to ban sale of tobacco to post-2010 births

COINCIDING with the World No-Tobacco Day last week, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) issued a statement, calling policymakers to create a tobacco-free generation by completely banning the sale of tobacco to children who were born after 2010 when they reach the legally permitted age to smoke - 21.

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The premier professional medical association in the island would have been influenced by the UK Government's Tobacco and Vapes Bill - which prohibits the sale of tobacco products to the UK citizens, who were born on or after 1 January, 2009. However, the said bill does not ban the aforementioned group in the UK from smoking although it prevents them from buying tobacco products. Such a scenario would not create a tobacco-free generation in the European State as the said generation can access tobacco products through those who were born prior to 2009. Similar to the measure in the UK, the SLMA only proposes to ban the sale of tobacco to a particular age group and it does not advocate barring Sri Lankans who were born after 2010 from having a smoke.