Tobacco industry influence in Sri Lanka rises: Global Index 2025

By Mangala Pavithrani and Poojathmi Rivithma

Sri Lanka has recorded a setback in its efforts to limit tobacco industry influence, ranking 45th in the 2025 Global Tobacco Industry Interference (TII) Index. The country falls within the 40–49 score range, where lower scores indicate stronger performance.

The TII Index, launched by the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) in collaboration with the Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), assesses how tobacco industry strategies impact public health policies. Yodhim Dela Rosa, Global Research Coordinator at GGTC, said the 2025 report reviewed 100 countries across regions including the Eastern Mediterranean, the Americas, Europe, South and Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific. The civil society-led index, first published in 2019, is conducted every two years to track government implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which protects public health policies from tobacco industry interference.

The WHO FCTC recommends that at least 75% of the retail price of tobacco products be collected as tax and encourages measures to eliminate illicit trade. High excise taxes are widely recognized as one of the most effective tools to reduce tobacco consumption.

Despite claims by the tobacco industry that higher taxes fuel contraband, studies indicate that only about 11% of the global cigarette market is illicit. In Sri Lanka, cigarette smuggling occurs through passenger luggage, duty-free zones, transit points, seaports, and freight containers. Official data from Sri Lanka Customs show that seized cigarette volumes do not support the industry’s claims that high taxes directly drive smuggling.

The 2025 TII Index highlights the continued influence of the tobacco industry on policy and underscores the need for stronger implementation of public health safeguards in Sri Lanka.