Sri Lanka, Jan. 8 -- The Economic loss from consumption of alcohol and tobacco in Sri Lanka amounts to Rs. 241 billion annually which is one-fifth of the total economic loss caused by cyclone Ditwah and 40 percent of the total budget allocated by the government for healthcare, as per the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC).

The ADIC says that 19.4 percent overall (3.2 million adults), 36.2 percent of men, and 4.9 percent of women currently use tobacco and tobacco smokers spend Rs. 520 million on cigarettes per day which annually leads to 1.5 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to UN Comtrade, Sri Lanka is a net importer of tobacco leaf, importing nearly US$61 million in 2024, compared to exports of al...