Plastic or polythene is not suitable for the hearth lighting ritual.

Health authorities strongly urge the public to refrain from using plastic or polythene when performing the ritual of lighting the hearth during the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, and Respiratory Disease Specialist Dr. Yamuna Rajapaksa points out that certain housewives burn these materials with the aim of easily lighting the hearth, which poses a severe risk of them developing lung cancer.

She revealed this while participating in a press conference held at the Health Promotion Bureau on the 8th.

During the incomplete combustion of plastics and polythene, in addition to organic particles, highly toxic heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are released into the environment. The specialist doctor emphasized that inhaling these released chemical fumes is far more severe than the health damage caused by smoking. It has been confirmed that even women who have never seen a cigarette in their lifetime are now showing a tendency to develop lung cancer, and a major reason for this is lighting hearths using plastics and polythene in this manner.

The use of firewood hearths in kitchens with inadequate ventilation causes smoke and toxic particles to remain within that small space, directly contributing to indoor air pollution. This situation severely affects not only the mother working near the hearth but also young children playing nearby, putting even their delicate lungs at risk of easy damage. Furthermore, the doctor explained that by using only firewood to light the hearth, without plastics and polythene, housewives can protect their health to some extent, as blowing into the hearth using tools like pipes can also lead to smoke inhalation and various lung infections.

Health authorities also point out that severe air pollution occurs during this festive season due to the lighting of firecrackers in conjunction with New Year rituals. It has also been revealed that harmful chemicals and small particles released into the atmosphere when firecrackers burn remain in the atmosphere for nearly twenty hours.