Colombo, August 15 (Daily Mirror) - The health and economic costs associated with alcohol use in Sri Lanka amounted to Rs. 335 billion in 2025, significantly exceeding the Rs. 254 billion collected as income from alcohol taxes during the same year, according to data presented by the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC).
The figures indicate that the costs associated with alcohol use were approximately Rs. 81 billion higher than the revenue generated through alcohol taxation in 2025.
According to the data, the Rs. 335 billion in health and economic costs represents the impact of alcohol use within the same year, while the Rs. 254 billion represents income generated through alcohol taxes during that period.
The data was sourced from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Excise Department of Sri Lanka, Ministry of Health, and a study titled The Health and Economic Impacts of Alcohol Control in Sri Lanka, conducted with the involvement of MOVENDI International, UNDP and WHO.
Sr Saturday, 15 August 2026 08:36 AM
Health costs can be allowed upto tax revenue on alcohol.
Kays Saturday, 15 August 2026 08:57 AM
Does this include Aswesuma fuelled drunkenness and the monthly cost to hospitals of treatment for these regular monthly binges. Plus the opportunity cost to the already strained healthcare system of this government funded binging.
Untrustworthy??? Saturday, 15 August 2026 10:25 AM
How do they health complications are only because of alcohol use? Is there even a comprehensive, reliable way to collect data that a certain illness is only due to alcohol consumption?
melville perera Saturday, 15 August 2026 11:52 AM
hard to believe with so many liquor shops freely operating cheek by jowl in every city and town none of them bave closed shop reporting losses besides in similar fashion the liquor bars in hotels/clubs and so many other joints enjoying luxury sales not forgetting tne tax evasions under various ruses by liquor manufacturiers running into billions yet manufacturing liquor under different brand names for the same product and 80% of the raw is available in the country where the labour force is a minute fraction of the daily output Sure the excise dept can see through all this On tuax evasion why not seize the assets till taxes are paid or even given time to pay???
TJ Saturday, 15 August 2026 12:50 PM
This seems to be an excuse to impose more taxes on alcohol. Why not ban it once and for all?
Nimal R Saturday, 15 August 2026 11:23 PM
This is a universal truth which the rich countries and liquor manufacturers don't give out. No country in the world has been able to secure the losses due to alcohol using the tax collected from liquor. Also,the uncalculated social impacts are heavy.
Everything in moderation Sunday, 16 August 2026 06:55 AM
If not for alcohol, iddiotts get addicted to something else. When people don't practise "madyama prathipadaawa," things almost always go wrong. Alcohol isn't the problem, but human stupidity.
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