According to the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratna, the WHO has started programs to control the use of tobacco. President Sirisena and he were given awards for the active support we give for controlling the use of tobacco.

This time the Summit which takes decisions on controlling tobacco will be held in Uruguay for which President Sirisena and I have been invited. Sri Lanka is known as the country who has taken the most number of decisions against tobacco. In addition, Sri Lanka is the country who has imposed the highest tax on tobacco.

According to WHO estimates 30 billion people die annually of smoking. The government will completely stop the cultivation of tobacco by year 2020 and introduce alternative cultivations for the farmers they will be given subsidies as well.

The minister further said that he will get the permission of the cabinet to prohibit the sale of tobacco products within a 500-meter radius of a school and thereafter prohibit the sale of a single cigarette and thereafter the white cigarette packet will be introduced.  

According to estimates 250,000 people die of smoking and of them 5 percent is small children.