Tobacco F.A.Q http://www.adicsrilanka.

org/f-a-q/
Is it blocking the development in Sri Lanka? Now you know how much money we burn for that and that could be use for the development. Not only that; do you know the Poverty Alleviation programme called Samurdhi? It has been spend Rs. Mn 8,400 for the Samurdhi programme by the government and at the same time from the Samurdhi benifisheries they have spend Rs. Mn. 18,250 for only cigarettes. (Mr. S.B. Disanayaka ,Ministery of Samurdhy, No tobacco day 2002). You may wonder how it could be happen, how they spend more than what they gain. The truth is that cigarette makes people more and more poor. Then how could they develop as individually, as a community and as a country level? Is it a social problem or an individual? It is definitely an individual problem considering the health and economic destruction smoking brings to an individual. However, it is a social problem too. People who still smoke might argue that it is my freedom to smoke and how can that be a problem to others. Nevertheless, it is more harmful for the people who get caught in second hand smoking. Pregnant mothers and children are more vulnerable to get affected by second hand smoking. Dont you wonder why people still continue or initiate smoking while knowing the harm? The aggressive advertising and promotions have contributed heavily in building false glamour to pointless smoking. These advertising could be in terms of movies, tele-dramas, sponsoring social events etc. It has given many reasons for people to continue or initiate smoking. For example, seeing your favorite super star smoking might be attractive to you and unconsciously it will be stored in your mind that smoking will give you recognition your super star receive in his real life which is actually due to his own brilliance in acting. Do we get significant tax revenue from Tobacco Company? According to the ADIC Trend Survey-December 2011 (sample size is 2,250), 42% believe that government receives more than 25% of tax revenue from Tobacco Company and 44% have no idea with respect to tax contribution. Well in reality, only 5.4% of the government tax is from tobacco (Central Bank Report 2011).