News
Drug menace getting out of control; most victims are school dropouts
The highest number of drug-related cases has been reported from the Western Province, according to the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB).
PNB statistics reveal that for the first 11 months of this year, 36,339 suspects had been arrested countrywide for heroin-related offences. The amount involved was 198.6 kg. Some 50,074 suspects were arrested with cannabis in their possession, mostly Kerala Ganja. The amount involved was 4,596 kg.
The statistics reveal a rapid increase in the numbers, as during the whole of last year, 29,000 suspects had been arrested with heroin and 54,000 for having cannabis in their possession.
Moreover, 33 foreigners had been arrested as of November. The figure includes 13 Indians and seven Pakistanis.
A Senior PNB official told the Sunday Times that, at a recent meeting, the President had offered the support of the tri-forces if needed and also requested a monthly report on drug detection.
“He said most of the cases involved suspects who had failed the GCE O/L exams. They were very active children during their school life, but after failing their exams, their focus was diverted and they got into bad company in the area. This often led to involvement in drug use or addiction.
According to him, the Bureau is involved not only in detection and prosecution but also in prevention and rehabilitation. Prevention was related to making people aware of the ill effects of drug usage, while rehabilitation focuses on sending drug users to correction centres to help them get over the addiction”
The Grandpass Police said that 10-15 people were sent to rehabilitation centres every month and in most of the cases, the parents willingly requested the rehabilitation of their children.
He said that even if the addicts were sent for rehabilitation, they returned to the same society which exposed them to the drug addiction. He warned that the menace was, at times, beyond control.
According to him, a major problem arises when a drug user is caught and he happens to be the sole breadwinner of the family. In such cases, it became difficult to send the victim for rehabilitation as the family would be left destitute.
The police officer emphasised that the main culprits were the traffickers rather than the users.Meanwhile, the Modara Police said that, every morning, teams of four to five police officers were deployed to inspect flats and check for drugs.
An official said that, in this way, they had managed to control the drug menace.
However, a Modera Police officer pointed out that about 200 drug related cases came before court every month and most of the suspects were repeat offenders. He said many drug users had pleaded that they not be sent for rehabilitation as it was of little or no use.
According to the Modara Police, they try to advise the younger generation as much as possible regarding the dangers of drug use, so that they would not be exposed to drugs at an early age. It was virtually impossible to rehabilitate those who were already addicted to drugs.
Sirisena Herath, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police and present Director of treatment centres and designated treatment centres of the National Dangerous Drug Control Board (NDDCB), said drugs were a menace worldwide.
According to him, 12 rehabilitation centres have been issued licences to manage issues related to drugs. There are about 10,000 addicts in these rehablitation centres.
Mr. Herath said the most effective method used in correction centres was meditation, which was usually conducted on 10 consecutive days. “This is very successful because about 80 percent of the victims come out sober at the end of the session. These programmes are conducted by the clergy,”he said.
He said that, in the Colombo District, most of the addicts were from areas like Mattakkuliya, Modera, Grandpass, Kotahena, Wanathamulla, Maligawatta, Borella and Moratuwa, and their educational qualifications have not exceeded the fourth grade.
Meanwhile, in June this year, after an education programme on the ill effects of drug usage, 100 children were readmitted to school. Yet another programme was held in October and, through this, about 200 children were given the opportunity to go to school.