by Maheesha Mudugamuwa
All programmes telecast on TV channels should not have smoking or drinking scenes, starting from September 1, National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) said.
Addressing a media briefing at the Information Department yesterday (29), NATA chairmen Prof. Carlo Fonseka said that in the case of programmes produced before the date on which the NATA Act became operative, which is December 1, 2006, and if there are practical difficulties in deleting such scenes, TV channels will be permitted to show such programmes under certain conditions.
"In the full 20 seconds preceding the commencement of the programme TV channels should show the opening message provided by NATA without any obstruction or comment, he said.
He also said that whenever smoking/ or drinking scenes appear during a programme, the appropriate message provided by NATA should be telecast occupying not less than 1/5 of the screen.
Fonseka also added that if the programme is subtitled or dubbed in another language, the NATA messages should be shown in the language which the programme is dubbed or subtitled.
"The appropriate message should be aired for the full duration depicting the smoking/drinking scenes and that the some of the messages will be shown with images of illnesses that are caused by smoking or alcohol consumption, he added.
"Images of alcohol and cigarette consumptions have increased dramatically in television programmes in the past few years. Research has shown that these images have a vast impact on viewers, especially young people," Sri Lanka Medical Association Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Mahesh Rajasuriya said.
Rajasuriya also said that tobacco and alcohol are the two worst killers accounting for more premature deaths and ill- health across the world.
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