Tobacco smoking cessation: lessons and policy options for Sri Lanka
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Sri Lanka has, in general, madeimportant strides in reducing the overall smoking prevalence rate over time. However, if smoking prevalence is to decrease further, it is important that measures are taken to reduce the prevalence rate among residual smokers - the Last Mile Smokers. The Last Mile Smokers are the remaining groups in which the smoking prevalence rates are higher than the overall smoking prevalence rate in
the country. Last Mile Smokers are, in general, less responsive to system-wide measures such as smoking and advertising bans as well as health awareness campaigns. As such, targetted smoking cessation policies and programmes play a vital role in supporting these groups to quit smoking effectively. However, given that tobacco products contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug on par with heroin and cocaine, smoking cessation is often a challenging task and a long-term process.