What is the real attitude of the Sri Lankan government toward tobacco? It often seems that nothing, especially the government, can or will harm the fortunes of the tobacco industry, which largely means near monopoly holder BAT (see Sri Lanka: BAT’s hack trick, Tobacco Control 2003;12:247–8). Yet at the same time, the government obviously wants to appear to be following the right course, and was among the first in the world to approve the ratification of the FCTC.

Does it really mean business? If so, a recent plethora of aggressive promotion could mean that manufacturers are desperately making hay while the sun shines, until at last, under legislation drafted to comply with the FCTC, further opportunity for recruitment to smoking is closed off. Alternatively, it may just mean that the confident prediction of BAT and others is that in a country where it has always more or less done what it wants, the government’s interpretation of the FCTC will mean business as usual.

Either way, BAT’s promotion of its Benson & Hedges (B&H) …