Friday Feb 27, 2026
Friday Feb 27, 2026
Friday, 27 February 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Ajith Perera
Recent media reports indicate that in the quiet corridors of Parliament, a familiar debate has resurfaced. The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) have commenced relooking at a significant shift in Sri Lanka’s retail landscape: a total ban on the sale of individual cigarettes.
The figures presented were sobering. NATA highlighted an annual economic loss of Rs. 225–240 billion and a tragic toll of 22,000 lives lost to tobacco and alcohol-related causes. However, living in 2026, we must ask: will this ban solve the problem, or simply drive it into the shadows?
The problem of the “Unregulated Vacuum”
While the idea of a stick sale ban sounds like a huge public health win on paper, the ground realities beg to differ. In Sri Lanka, the “Beedi” remains a dominant player, often escaping the same level of scrutiny as the legal trade.
If a consumer cannot afford a legal pack and can no longer buy a single legal stick, the math is simple: they will not quit; they will switch. A Beedi is priced at Rs. 10 making even a bundle or pack of beedi a mere Rs. 200. Consumers will move toward Beedis or, worse, the surging market of illegal smuggled cigarettes. These smuggled products, which are priced at half the price of a legal cigarette, contribute nothing to the government coffers. The already booming illegal cigarette trade will thrive in market conditions that leave consumers with no option but to switch to cheaper alternatives. The illegal cigarette trade already deprives the Government of more than Rs. 100 billion revenue and this challenge is bound to multiply in leaps and bounds with the introduction of a single cigarette sale ban.
The “Petti Kade” and the micro-economy
For the thousands of small-scale retailers across our islands, the cigarette is often a “bridge” product. It brings a customer to the shop, who then buys a loaf of bread, a packet of milk, or a recharge card. In our current economic climate, very few consumers have the disposable cash to spend upwards of Rs. 3200 on a full pack at once.
By forcing a “pack-only” rule, we aren’t just targeting a habit; we are inadvertently squeezing the daily cash flow of the small-time shopkeeper. In a humanised society, we must consider if we are prepared to criminalise a village retailer for a transaction that has been part of the local social fabric for decades.
A path of understanding
As Sectoral Oversight Committee Chair Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe noted, the matter remains under discussion. This provides a vital window for understanding the realities of the market. The blind pursuit of alleged public health objectives may very well result in being counterproductive.
True change comes from education and a deep understanding of why people smoke, not from restrictive measures that may backfire. Perhaps it is time to focus on empowering our youth through awareness rather than imposing a ban that the average “Petti Kade” owner cannot possibly enforce without losing their livelihood.
(The author is a maritime and logistics security consultant serving in Sri Lanka and the Middle East)
