Sri Lanka, Jan. 16 -- Nearly fifty people die every day in Sri Lanka as a direct result of alcohol use, according to startling new data released by the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC).

Executive Director Sampath de Seram revealed that between fifteen and twenty thousand people lose their lives annually to alcohol and tobacco-related illnesses.

Speaking at a conference in Colombo, health officials warned that alcohol remains a leading cause of non-communicable diseases, accounting for more deaths nationwide than road accidents and cancer combined.

The Chairman of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA), Dr. Ananda Rathnayake, further alleged that political interference remains a significant hurdle in controlling...