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| Wednesday, 14 January 2004 |
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Heart of the Matter: Save Sri Lanka and our children by Fathima Razik Cader Sri Lanka is a country blessed with many natural resources. Add to that a friendly people, hospitable by nature, warm smiles and what have we got? A land like no other! But most unfortunately, this land and its youth are being gradually invaded by one of the worst social evils - that of drug abuse. The causes of drug addiction are many and include increased availability of drugs, expansion of communication, socio-economic factors, migration and rapid urbanization, changes in attitude and values towards society, community, family, religion, morality and the ruthless exploitation of fellow human beings by drug traffickers. Social costs are heavy and are due to drug crimes and diseases, increasing poverty among addicts, over crowded prisons, social and family disruption and human suffering to name a few. Since the high risk group is primarily in the 15-35 years category, the loss in manpower and productivity as a result, is enormous. Cannabis, heroin and opium amongst other types of drugs are very effectively 'marketed' to the country's future generation - specifically to the age group already mentioned. And the strategies adopted are such that those who are vulnerable are lured into this vortex that sucks them in - and invariably keeps them there. Sadly, many of them take the line of least resistance whilst a handful are fortunate enough to get themselves out of this quagmire. Policy The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) is the national institution authorized to formulate and review a national policy on drugs. In view of its role in primarily treating, rehabilitating and mooting preventive education, the NDDCB (a statutory Board) is not involved with the day to day enforcement activities. This aspect however, is coordinated by the NDDCB through its sub-committee on Enforcement. It also focuses on research, drugs and drugs control activities. Prof Ravindra Fernando is the Chairman of the NDDCB. It is an accepted fact that no country can solve this problem in isolation. The Government encourages relevant agencies to actively engage in formal international co-operation through bi-lateral, regional and international collaboration. Towards this end, the Government of Sri Lanka has been a party to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the Amending Protocol of 1972. Expeditious action will be taken to accede to the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 Convention on Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. In pursuance of this undertaking, the NDDCB will take appropriate action and will assist the relevant Ministries to do likewise. International co-operation will also be encouraged through NGO's that have international connections or dealings and collaborative mechanisms. Since the early 1980s Sri Lanka has had to face a growing problem of drug abuse mainly amongst its youth, a cause attributed to the influx of tourists into the country. Currently, it is estimated that there are about 40,000 users of heroin and about 200,000 users of cannabis. To a nation that firmly believes that its citizens have a right to a decent life with moral, humanitarian and spiritual values in a healthy and safe environment, this is a matter of grave concern, more so as it involves the youth who are considered the wealth of the nation. Evil The Food and Drugs Act was enacted in 1949. Ceylon as our country was then known was totally free of this social evil. Since then, this Act was repealed by the Cosmetics Devices and Drugs Act (No. 27) of 1980. This Act was amended in 1984 (Act No. 38) as was the Poisons, Opium and Drugs Act also amended (Act No. 13) in the same year. Short-term and long-term action plans are developed and formulated based on national priorities, keeping in mind the local needs and adapting strategies which are outlined in the United nations Comprehensive Multi-disciplinary Outline of Future Activities in Drug Abuse Control (CMO). The CMO is a compendium of practical action for combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking. The UN General Assembly has on several occasions, urged governments to use the CMO in formulating programmes compatible to that country. In Sri Lanka, the Ministries of Defence, Interior, Finance, Health, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Public Administration and Home Affairs are directly involved in vigorously combating this social evil. It is vital that all agencies of the government and non-governmental organizations work in tandem with regard to enforcing the laws to reduce, if not totally eliminate, the availability and distribution of illicit drugs. Education informal and non-formal, awareness and the use of mass media are areas prioritized to impart relevant information, knowledge and adopting a positive attitude which includes coping skills, particularly for the young addicts. Enforcing the law is sometimes easier said than done - especially so when it is a drug related problem. The NDDCB stresses on the need to giving adequate resources to enforcement agencies and facilitating maximum use of specialized personnel. It would be prudent to support intentional efforts to curb the production, distribution and trafficking of drugs by entering into treaties with other states to cover exchange of prisoners, extradition and legal assistance. A coordinated mass media campaign is on the cards to create awareness and highlight drugs and the negative aspects that are a result of addiction. Schools and offices are included in the awareness and education programmes that are designed to cater to persons at risk, especially school drop-outs. The programmes would be viable alternatives to drug addiction and also discourage deviant behaviour more so in the case of the unemployed. Statistics Recent statistics reveal that the largest quantity of drugs seized was cannabis whilst the highest number of arrests was for possession of heroin. More males are arrested as against females with the Western Province and the Colombo District recording the highest numbers. Interestingly, the number of Sri Lankans arrested abroad for drug related offenses was three times more than that of foreigners arrested in Sri Lanka. Of those treated for drug abuse, 87% were from the Western Province and 68% of that number was from the Colombo District. The Southern and the North-Western Provinces too have a high percentage of addicts. The official Drug Control Agencies in Sri Lanka are the Police and the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNBP), the Customs and the Department of Excise. The Police are vested with more powers than other agencies under the existing laws with regard to illegal drugs. The Police Narcotics Bureau, a specialized unit, coordinates drug enforcement functions of all police stations in the island. The PNB also investigates major drug cases, responds to international requests with regard to drug law enforcement and is a repository of statistics. In addition, the PNB also trains officers both within the police and in allied agencies. The Customs Department controls the entry and exit points in the island. In addition to a Baggage Division, a Preventive Division with a specialized Narcotics Unit is also functional and works in close collaboration with the PNB which handles the case once a case is detected. The Excise Department is vested with powers under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Section 77-3) and the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1997 (Section 136-b), to undertake drug law enforcement. The Excise Department has a specialized unit for this purpose that coordinates the work of other units spread throughout the island. Requirements The Ministry of Health which enforces the Cosmetics Devices and Drugs Act imports all legal requirements of substances and methyl phenidate for medical and scientific purposes through the Director, medical Supplies Division. The ultimate authority is the Director General of Health Services under whose purview the Medical Supplies Division falls. The Minister of Health is empowered to make regulations for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. Both the Magistrates and High Courts hear drug related cases under the existing laws. The sentences passed, however, vary considerably and no research seems to have been done to find out the rationale behind the sentences handed out. Though no express provision exists under the current laws, occasionally, a Court is seen to direct youthful offenders to seek treatment and rehabilitation. The Prisons represents a passive enforcement by coming into the picture only once a suspect is convicted. Statistics indicate that those imprisoned for narcotics offenses now comprise the single largest category of the total inmates. In fact, the Commissioner of Prisons was recently appealing to society to remedy this situation by rehabilitating those inmates convicted on drug related offenses as this would ease the congestion in the prisons. Anyone who has had the misfortune of dealing with a drug addict- be it family or friend, will know the gravity of the situation, where at times, one is left with a feeling of desolation and despair. It is time to reach out to those unfortunate victims grappling with this menace. They need all the help they can get in their time of need. Let us hope and pray that the year 2004 will see a drastic reduction in the number of drug addicts and that the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board will be in a position to put out a favourable report. |
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