Call for banning small bottles of arrack

By Saman Indrajith

The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) is planning to request the government to ban 180 ml quarter bottles of arrack.

Addressing the media at the Health Education Bureau in Colombo, NATA Chairman Dr Samadhi Rajapaksa said that there was strong public opinion that the small bottles should be banned not only to control alcohol abuse but also to prevent environmental damage.

“The results of a NATA public opinion survey conducted this year indicates that 72.4 percent of people think quarter bottles should be banned. More than 1,000 people took part in the survey carried out under three age groups. Around 40 percent respondents were from the age group between 17 and 30 years, while 35 percent of the sample comprised respondents from the age group 31 to 45 years and the last age group accounting for 25 percent of the subjects was above 45. The age groups not only covered all adults but also represented diverse education and social backgrounds.”

The NATA chairman said that in addition to the survey findings, the NATA had received a large number of complaints from environmentalists as well as farmers to ban quarter bottles, which have become a serious nuisance and threat to environment.

It is stated that 54 percent of hard liquor is sold in quarter bottles containing 180 ml. In 2019 alone, people purchased between 9 and 10 million quarter bottles of arrack, as per the excise records.

The latest WHO Global status report on alcohol and health indicates that Sri Lanka has recorded an alarming increase of 29.4 percent in hard liquor consumption.

Director of the Health Promotion Bureau, Dr. Ranjith Batuwanthudawa, Director Tertiary Care Services of Health Ministry Dr. Ayanthi Karunaratne and Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath also addressed the media.