By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

Responsible journalists should expose journalists and media, which maintain clandestine affairs with liquor manufacturing companies and promote the latter for any gains in a bid to have effective alcohol policies in the country, anti-alcohol activists said.   

Launching the RESET Alcohol Media Campaign to promote effective alcohol policies in Sri Lanka its team leader Suranga Lakmal Seneviratne said that certain journalists and media, politicians and civil society activists actively engaged with alcohol and liquor manufacturing companies to boost the latter.   

He said the media has a key role in contributing to an anti-alcohol, tobacco and drug fighting programme by educating the public as much as possible about the negatives of these items.   
He said the government authorities also have a responsibility to increase taxes on alcohol and tobacco to discourage the consumers from spending on them in the future. “We know at present the prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco are very high owing to its government taxes. What should really happen in the country is to decrease the people’s buying power of these which are injurious to the health,” Seneviratne said.   

He pointed that compared to the annual revenue of Rs.105, 234 million (Rs.105 billion) the government receives from Excise taxes, the amount spent on health as result of alcohol and tobacco related crisis is far high, which is at Rs.119, 660 million (Rs.119 billion).   

‘Ape TV Academy and Creations’ in collaboration with the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) launched the media campaign.   

WHO Senior Advisor Dr. Palitha Abeykoon, Chairman NATA Dr. Alan Ludowyke, Advisor to ADIC Pubudu Sumanasekara and many other anti-alcohol and tobacco activists attended the event.