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Don’t delay anti-tobacco gazette: Mahanayakes

12 Sep 2013 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The four Mahanayake Theras of the Tri-Nikayas have come together to push for the government and other concerned parties to have the gazette advocating tobacco companies to place anti-tobacco warnings over 80 per cent of cigarette packets, issued without further delay.

The Theras pointed out that the multi-nationals had resorted to various strategies to delay the process leading to the release of the gazette.

“There’s an urgent need to implement the tobacco control legislation by getting the gazette on the pictorial warning passed immediately,” the Malwatte Chapter Mahanayake, the Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera said in the statement.

The Asgiriya Chapter Mahanayake Thera, the Most Venerable Udugama Sri Buddharakkhitha said: “The accelerated development projects launched by the President would only become meaningful if the citizens in the country remained healthy. As such it is imperative that the government urged the companies to display the required pictorial warnings immediately.”

The Most Venerable Napana Pemasiri Thera, Mahanayake of the Ramanna Nikaya warned that the companies had already resorted to dilatory tactics so as to dodge the new warning; as such the government and relevant authorities should act promptly to issue the relevant gazette.

The Aggamahapanditha, Most Venerable Dr. Davuldena Gnanissara Thera, Mahanayake of the Amarapura Nikaya reiterated that though the end of war had put an end to massacres, the mass deaths due to tobacco was a continuous legacy.

“To save our future generation from the tobacco trap it is mandatory that the authorities quickly put into effect the new pictorial warning through a gazette,” the Venerable Thera said

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Don’t delay anti-tobacco gazette: Mahanayakes

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