In an emotionally charged message to the nation, the chairman of Sri Lankan National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) alleged that the death of the famous cricket commentator Tony Greig is a “pre-meditated murder.” He charged the tobacco industry with killing Tony prematurely.
The chairman of NATA, the learned Prof. Carlo Fonseka, also recalled death of his father and two of his younger brothers as a result of tobacco use. He said he too was suffering from a chronic lung disease caused by inhaling secondhand tobacco smoke from his chain-smoking father, who used to smoke keeping him on his lap. However, NATA chairman forgave his father because at that time his father did not know what he was doing was really harmful for him and his children.Tony’s lung cancer was diagnosed in Sri Lanka and within weeks while awaiting surgery he died of
a heart attack. The chairman has repeatedly warned all smokers of four major killers in the modern world — cardiovascular diseases, cancer,
diabetes and chronic lung diseases and two of their major causative factors are tobacco use and alcohol abuse. NATA wants the tobacco industry indicted for the murder of six million people worldwide every year. I completely agree with the chairman when he calls for the murder charges to be leveled against the tobacco industry over the deaths resulting from tobacco use. We all know very well that how much the Sri Lankans loved late Tony and how much Tony loved Sri Lanka and its people. He was an international figure: South African born, with British nationality, played for England, lived in Australia but loved Sri Lanka!
Remembering Tony Greig
