Per Capita Consumption of liquor in Sri Lanka is five times higher than in Europe. Sri Lanka and Thailand is on top in South Asia in per capita consumption of liquor, National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Chairman Dr. Palitha Abeykoon said.
Addressing the media in Colombo yesterday, he said that the per capita consumption of liquor in Sri Lanka is 3.5 litres and it is only 0.5 liters in Europe. Over 95 percent of people in Europe consume liquor but here in Sri Lanka 80 percent of people do not consume liquor.
A total of 35 percent of men and around three percent of women consume liquor in Sri Lanka.
A total of 40 percent of Sri Lanka’s population (six million people) consume liquor while 40,000 school children smoke.
According to Dr. Abeykoon, the people living in one Grama Niladhari Division of Sri Lanka spend Rs. 200,000 per month on liquor and Rs. 150,000 on cigarettes. Every month a Sri Lankan village (villagers) send money outside from the village and the amount is equal to two Samudhi payments for the entire village. Annually the Government earns only Rs. 143 billion from tobacco and alcohol tax but the total health cost of the damage caused by tobacco and alcohol is Rs 212 billion (Tobacco Rs.71.5 billion and alcohol Rs.141billion).
Dr. Abeykoon pointed out that in foreign countries the addiction for alcohol is much lesser than Sri Lanka although the consumption is high. But, here in Sri Lanka the addiction is very high although the consumption (the number of people who consume alcohol) is low. Special attention should be paid to prevent youths and needy people from getting addicted to alcohol.
The Director of the mental health Unit of the Health Ministry Dr.Chithramala De Silva said that there is a clinic at every state hospital to treat addicts.
There are six rehabilitation hospitals in the country to rehabilitate addicts. Medical treatment is available for addiction to any substance such as alcohol, drugs etc.
There is 1 Comment
The mathematics is wrong and
Add new comment