News

NATA, WHO to create smoke free zones

Published

4 years ago

2022/05/16

Thilina Walpola

Second hand smoking causes about 890,000 premature deaths a year worldwide

By Ifham Nizam

The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA), Sri Lanka, in partnership with the World Health Organisation, has initiated a project to set up 362 Smoke Free Zones (SFZs) in Sri Lanka to protect the general public from tobacco smoke, said Supun Lahiru Prakash, Researcher on Smoke Free Zones, and introduced a 10-step process for establishing Smoke Free Zones in Sri Lankan context. NATA Chairman Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa said exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) was a serious threat to the health of the public and it caused death and disease in non-smoking adults and children. “It is a harmful mixture of two forms of smoke, produced from burning tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, and smoke that has been exhaled by smokers.

“There is no safe level of exposure identified to SHS. In adults, SHS causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, such as coronary heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke,” he added In addition, SHS causes low birth weight in pregnant women and sudden death in infants. At least half of children regularly breathe the air polluted from tobacco smoke in public settings. Ear infections, more frequent and severe asthma attacks, respiratory symptoms (coughing, sneezing, and shortness of breath) and respiratory infections (bronchitis and pneumonia) are some of the health issues caused by SHS to children. SHS causes about 890,000 premature deaths per annum. Children accounted for 28% of the deaths attributable to SHS in 2004. Therefore, eliminating smoking at all homes, worksites, and public places is essential in order to fully protect non-smokers from SHS. There are different strategies employed in combating tobacco-related health issues all over the world. The World Health Organization Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) promotes smoke-free cities as an effective tobacco control strategy.

Sri Lanka is the fifth country in the South-east Asian Region to sign the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control and the first country in the region to ratify it.According to the guidance of WHO-FCTC, the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act, No. 27 of 2006 was enacted in Sri Lanka supporting preventive measures regarding alcohol and tobacco use. Sri Lanka, while the overall smoking prevalence has shown a downward trend, SHS exposure at home remains a significant problem, despite the recent laws enacted to prohibit smoking in public places.

Women and children are highly vulnerable; it is they who inevitably breathe in SHS due to the high prevalence of male household members who use tobacco. The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol of Sri Lanka has taken the initiative in carrying out a National programme for establishing ‘Smoke Free Zones’ for combating SHS with the help of Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) who are the main coordinators at the grass root level in 2015. During 2015 – November 2019, there were 253 SFZs established in 102 Medical Officer of Health divisions in 20 districts of nine provinces.The highest number of SFZs was established in 2018 (95) followed by 2019 (63), 2016 (55), and 2017 (35). Ninety-six percent (96%) of SFZs were sustained up to the end of 2019; however, the attention was given by PHI lesson due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the attempt to establish SFZs in the island again by the NATA should be very much appreciated.

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Italian Naval Vessel ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ arrives in Colombo

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

The Italian Naval Vessel ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ arrived in Sri Lanka today, 9 September 2026, on a replenishment visit.

The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in accordance with naval traditions at the port of Colombo.

‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ is a 180m long Landing Helicopter Aircraft Vessel commanded by Captain Marco GUERRIERO.

During the ship’s stay in Sri Lanka, the Commanding Officer of ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ is scheduled to call on the Commander Western Naval Area.

News

Bangladesh bank on bowlers in bid to bring India down

Published

9 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Bangladesh will look to curb Shafali Verma's aggression [cRICINFO]

If Bangladesh take the route of seeking inspiration from the past to bring down heavyweights India on Thursday, they will have to squint their eyes and go back to pre-Covid times for their last victory against them in the Women’s Asia Cup. India have had the better of their neighbours over their last eight meetings, and last lost to Bangladesh in a T20I three years ago, when a very similar-looking Indian batting line-up was kept to 102 for 9.

Before that, Bangladesh had shocked India with back-to-back wins that culminated in their maiden Asia Cup title, by again stifling India to an underwhelming 112 for 9.

The Bangladesh team of today – as their recent fights have shown over the last two World Cups – is a version far improved from the ones of 2018 and 2023. They have scared teams like Australia and England (ODI World Cup) and India (T20 World Cup) in the last 12 months and they recently beat the higher ranked Pakistan in the UK by keeping them to 100 for 8.

It is this bowling strength that Bangladesh must bank on to try and bring down India, whose batting has stuttered every now and then, including a collapse of 8 for 46 against Thailand earlier in the tournament. India have had middle-order issues for a while now – it’s one of the things that kept them from a knockout berth in the last T20 World Cup – and Bangladesh will be itching to strike while the iron is hot.

They have laid the foundations in the last 10 days by routing Indonesia for 58, making Sri Lanka sweat in a chase of 115, and suffocating UAE’s batters to 69 for 9 with semi-finals qualification on the line.

Pratika Rawal, India’s No. 3 for this tournament in place of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues, hasn’t quite shown the promise in this format that she has in ODIs. Her 36 runs in three innings have come at a strike rate of just 109.09, against some of the lower-ranked teams in the world. Now into the knockouts, the time is ripe for Rawal to step up against one of the stronger bowling attacks of the tournament, especially if one of the openers doesn’t get going.

Swing bowler Marufa Akter is doing Marufa Akter things at this Asia Cup. She has struck in her opening spell in each of her three games so far – including the big scalp of Chamari Athapathuthu for 1. She has made the ball talk with her prodigious swing, and is the top wicket-taker in this Asia Cup among pace bowlers, with an economy rate of 3.27. She will hold the key for Bangladesh as they come up against a top order comprising Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Rawal.

Team news

After constant chopping and changing during the T20 World Cup in the UK, India have gone unchanged in the three games of this tournament. They will be expected to field the same XI again.

India (probable): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma.

Bangladesh have used 14 players, in comparison, including a debut for 17-year-old allrounder Farjana Easmin. They may not make too many changes this time as the two players who came into the XI on Tuesday – Rabeya Khan and Sharmin Akter – played starring roles in beating UAE.

Bangladesh (probable): Juairiya Ferdous, Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Sobhana Mostary, Dilara Akter, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sharmin Akter, Nahida Akter, Sultana Khatun, Marufa Akter, Fahima Khatun.

[Cricinfo]

News

Establishment of National Trade Negotiation Committee (NTFC) and Trade Policy Consultation Committee.

Published

11 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 24-08-2026 to implement the recommendations submitted by the committee appointed to review Sri Lanka’s current Free Trade Agreements and future course of Free Trade Agreements in Sri Lanka.

Taking into account these recommendations, it has been
recognized the necessity of establishing a National Trade Negotiation Committee and Trade Policy Consultation Committee enabling Sri Lanka to follow a more targeted, sequential, and evidence-based approach in conducting negotiations for Sri Lanka’s future Free Trade Agreements and to ensure a sustainable and meaningful stakeholder consultation process.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commercial, Food Security, and Cooperative Development to act as follows.

• Establishment of a National Trade Negotiation Committee to guide trade discussions conducted with potential bilateral or regional trade partners
• Appointment of the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development as the Chairman of the National Trade Negotiation Committee and
the Chief National Trade Negotiator.
• Establishment of 12 subject specific sub- committees with the required technical working groups under the National Trade Negotiation Committee
• Appointment of Trade Policy Consultative Committee comprising of trade experts, researchers engaged in research relevant to trade field, business community, unions, civil societies and relevant public officers to instruct the National Trade Negotiation Committee on active and technical sectors, to submit the policy recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the matters relevant to the trade agreements, to inquire sustainable ideas regarding the Free Trade Agreements, and to ensure the communication mechanism.
• The Minister in charge of the Subject international trade and the Minister in charge of the subject of Industry to serve as Co-Chairpersons of the Trade Policy Advisory Committee.