Dharmapriya Dias

Summary

• Dharmapriya Dias is a Sri Lankan actor, playwright, producer, and director.
• He portrayed tobacco smoking in several movies and stage drama acts, violating the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act.

Background

Dharmapriya Dias, born on 19 April 1975 in Kesbawa, is a Sri Lankan actor, playwright, producer, and director. He completed his education at Sir John Kotelawala Maha Vidyalaya and Piliyandala Central College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colombo and a Master of Arts degree in Drama and Theatre from the University of Kelaniya. Dias has worked as a professional dubbing artist, set designer, choreographer, dancer, and presenter. Dias also worked as an art teacher at Sasthrananda Vidyalaya in Dehiwela.

He is married to Anoja Milanthi and they have two sons.

He has taken part in many stage dramas, teledramas, and films including Dasa Mallige Bangalawa (දාස මල්ලිගෙ බංගලාව), Sadaya Marayi Salli Hamarayi (සාදය මාරයි සල්ලි හමාරයි), Ingammaruwa (ඉන්ගම්මාරුව), Dewani Inima (දෙවනි ඉනිම), Koombiyo (කූඹියෝ), Walapatala (වලාපටල), Boradiya Pokuna (බොරදිය පොකුණ), Machang (මචං), Matha (මාතා), The Newspaper, Colombo, and Passport.

He received several national level awards including Best Actor award at the State Drama festival awards in 2003 and 2017, Best Actor award at Sarasavi Awards and the SIGNIES Awards in 2008.

Image 1: Dharmapriya Dias. Source: Instagram

Tobacco Related Activities

Promoting Tobacco Smoking through His Acting

Dharmapriya Dias depicted smoking scenes in multiple productions as shown in Gallery 1.

• Gallery 1
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  Image 2: A smoking scene from short film Shepherd.

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  Image 3: A smoking scene in short film Apteral.

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  Image 4: A smoking scene in movie Colombo.

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  Image 5: A smoking scene in movie Machan.

Cannabis Related Activities

Promoting Cannabis through his Acting

Dias smokes a cannabis cigarette live on stage during the stage drama ‘Dasa Mallige Bangalawa’. This Stage drama was directed by Ruwan Malitha Peiris and Kalana Gunasekara.

Image 6: Dharmapriya Dias depicting cannabis smoking during the live stage play

Implications

Multiple research studies have shown that exposure to portrayal of tobacco products or their use in television and in movies is associated with initiation of smoking among viewers, especially among adolescents and youth, and sustenance of smoking among current smokers.A large body of evidence suggests that tobacco industry is known to have commissioned celebrities to promote tobacco and related products in media and through entertainment activities.

National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act No 27 of 2006 is the main legal framework for tobacco and alcohol control in Sri Lanka. Section 35 of the NATA Act prohibits tobacco and alcohol advertisements and promotion in media including ‘the internet’. NATA Act defines tobacco advertisements as, “any writing, still or moving picture, sign, symbol or distinctive colours or other visual image or any audible message or any combination of the aforesaid that promotes or is intended to promote – smoking, the purchase or use of a tobacco product, a trade mark registered in respect of a tobacco product or articles that include tobacco products, a brand name associated with a tobacco product, the name of the manufacturer of a tobacco product.”

Tobacco Unmasked Resources

• National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) Act
• Kalana Gunasekara

The local language translations