Is Sri Lankan army to cut down on smoking, once a ban to sell cigarettes inside army cantonments comes into effect January ! (tomorrow?)

“Our salutation to the President and the Army Commander of Sri Lanka for taking the bold decision to ban sale of cigarettes within army premises with effect from 1st of January 2017,” says an editorial by  Manjari Peiris in The Asuian tribune, a popular Srilankan news organisation.

“In this small country, there are some people who are making a big show off – pretending that they are the heroes of preventing cigarette and alcohol consumption in the country. But what they really do is joking and dancing and merry making by making frequent joy rides to foreign countries. They lavishly give away all the privileges to a limited number of people who scratch their backs. Is this doing prevention?

“But, it was Dr. Danushka Dissanayake, attached to the Sri Lanka Army, who initiated his efforts to lay the foundation stone to ban sale of cigarettes within Army premises, from 1st of January 2017. He does all this good work not as an employment and not enjoying foreign funds.

“It is possible that the afore-mentioned people – institutions say that they did this too. Isn’t this is an exemplary action?

“Similarly these are the initiatives that should have been done by the respective state organizations meant for tobacco/alcohol prevention. But for them to do one action, they need tons of staff. How pleasant is “Silent Work,” than deception and show off?” writes Peiris.

  Maithripala Srisena, Sri Lanka