Amaranath Thennakoon, Director of the Center for Drug and Alcohol Information, stated that people in Sri Lanka spend around 6 billion rupees daily on arrack and beer. He shared this information during a recent discussion with journalists at the Sarvodaya Institute in Kegalle.
Dayarathna Bandara, reported this to Dinamina newspaper, highlighting the significant financial burden alcohol places on the country.
In 2022, the economic and health costs due to alcohol amounted to a staggering 237 billion rupees, while the alcohol tax revenue was only 165 billion rupees. This stark contrast underscores the detrimental impact of alcohol on the nation’s economy and health system.
“Due to drugs, approximately 40 people die daily in our country, amounting to about 15,000 deaths annually. Among those who die, many are fathers or husbands, leaving entire families destitute. Daily, people in this country spend around 6 billion rupees on arrack and beer. As many of these alcohol companies are multinational corporations, a significant amount of capital flows out of the country. Studies have found that the losses to the country due to alcohol far exceed the revenue generated from alcohol taxes,” Thennakoon explained.
He added, “Alcohol is a hindrance to the development of a country and obstructs 14 out of the 17 sustainable development goals. It has been scientifically confirmed that no amount of alcohol is beneficial to the human body. A higher percentage of road accidents are caused by alcohol. It is also a major cause of domestic violence and child abuse. Although the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act No. 27 of 2006 prohibits the promotion of alcohol and tobacco, it is not effectively enforced. Necessary amendments to this act were presented to Parliament three years ago, but they have yet to be passed. It is imperative that these amendments are implemented immediately.”
