The press conference on the ‘Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023’ was successfully conducted on 13th December 2023, with significant participation from 22 media representatives across various channels, Civil Society Organization members, and Youth members. During the event, we had the opportunity to discuss several crucial topics, including the WHO FCTC, the significance of the TII Index, tactics employed by the tobacco industry, and the importance of a scientific tax policy for tobacco products. It is our sincere expectation that the comprehensive discussions would stimulate a national discourse on tobacco industry interferences, emphasizing the pivotal role policymakers play in implementing scientific tax and pricing strategies to address the prevailing economic challenges.
A summary of the key findings related to Sri Lanka in the Asian Tobacco Industry Interference Index are as follows:
- The overall level of tobacco industry interference in 19 Asian countries was analyzed in the study. A lower score or ranking means better implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC, underscoring the government’s pivotal role in safeguarding tobacco control policies from industry interference.
- Accordingly, the tobacco industry interference ranking in Sri Lanka has gone down from a score of 45 in 2021 to a score of 42 in 2023, indicating a lowered amount of industry interference over time
- However, the tobacco industry participation in policy development has increased slightly over time in Sri Lanka
- In response to the global movement towards banning tobacco advertisements, promotions and sponsorships in alignment with the WHO FCTC Article 13, the tobacco industry is adopting subtler approaches to market its products. One particularly insidious strategy involves corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. In Sri Lanka, most forms of CSR activities are banned, but publicity that does not use brand names or trademarks and publicity of sponsored individuals is allowed.
- There has been little improvement in the benefits given to the tobacco industry by governments recorded between 2021 and 2023. Most governments still perceive the tobacco industry’s business as a significant contributor to economic advancement. In Sri Lanka, the scoring has gone up, from a score of 3 in 2021 to a score of 5 in 2023, indicating the government still provides certain benefits to the tobacco industry.
- The overall findings highlight the fact that governments need to update their existing legal frameworks and rigorously uphold a code of conduct that aligns with the standards outlined in Article 5.3 guidelines, as well as the principles of anti-corruption.
