Sri Lanka, July 11 -- The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) and the Expert Committee on Tobacco, Alcohol and Illicit Drugs have urged the government to introduce a "Tobacco-Free Generation" policy that would prohibit the sale of all tobacco products to individuals born on or after January 1, 2010, warning that continued tobacco use poses a major threat to public health, social wellbeing and the country's economy.

In a letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) and the Expert Committee on Tobacco, Alcohol and Illicit Drugs urged the government to adopt the policy, which they said would prevent thousands of young people from becoming addicted to tobacco while reducing the likelihood...