• Proposals include raising minimum age for tobacco/alcohol purchase to 21 yrs., plain packaging for cigarette packets, tightening  regulations about e-cigs/vapes
• Talks underway with the Public Performance Board to amend the law in accordance with related cultural productions and depictions 

The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) is expecting to amend the NATA Act to strengthen tobacco control measures. 

Speaking to The Daily Morning, the NATA Chairperson, Dr. Ananda Rathnayaka said that the NATA Act will be amended and the institution is actively engaged in discussions towards this end. The amendments that the NATA plans to introduce and implement include: raising the minimum age for tobacco/alcohol purchase to 21 years; plain packaging for cigarette packets with the authorities, in addition to the existing pictorial warning labels, deciding on the packaging, including its colour, branding, size, and the fonts of the lettering; and tightening rules and regulations about electronic-cigarettes or vapes. According to the existing Act, the selling and promoting of e-cigarettes are banned. Yet, online marketing campaigns are taking place, and the proposed amendments will encourage urgent legal actions.

Responding to the query on the authority of the institution regarding controlling the promotion that takes place via cultural forms, Dr. Rathnayaka mentioned that even if the NATA has the authority to prohibit any type of such cultural productions and depictions, the legal procedure related to acting against the necessary productions is slow, while on the other hand, in the wake of banning a film on such grounds, the latter industry uses that as a negative marketing strategy. Hence, the Public Performance Board is engaging in discussions to amend their Act as well in favour of the NATA in helping the latter control tobacco consumption in the country.