The decision was reached during an institutional review of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) held recently in Parliament. During the review, NATA officials informed the committee that approximately 22,000 deaths occurred annually in Sri Lanka due to tobacco and alcohol consumption. Officials told the committee that steps were underway to amend the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act to grant it more powers. When loose cigarettes were sold, mandatory health warnings on cigarette packets were not visible to consumers, the NATA officials said. The committee was also briefed on the importance of imposing taxes on cigarettes after determining their retail prices, as part of broader measures aimed at reducing tobacco consumption.