Special task forces to prevent drug abuse

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will be a State which will fully control drug abuse by 2010 and special task forces will be established this year in all local Government areas in order to make this effort a success.

Chairman, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), D.P.Mendis said Grama Seva officers in every village will be responsible for collecting data on drug related activities and a data base will be formed which will provide all drug related information.

Mendis pointed out that although the NDDCB has taken several important measures to control drug abuse in the country the existing national policy for prevention has a lot of shortcomings. As such there are certain barriers to control drug abuse.

According to statistics issued by the NDDCB, a total number of 47,298 persons have been arrested for drug related offences during 2006 which is an increase of 69 per cent over 2005.

Eighty three percent of these arrests were reported from the Western Province and 63% of them were aged 30 years or more. Apart from that 21 Sri Lankans have been arrested abroad for drug offences during 2006. Nine foreign nationals were also arrested in Sri Lanka for possession and trafficking of drugs.

The average street price per kilo of heroin in 2006 was about Rs. 2.8 million in Sri Lanka for locals and Rs.4.0 million for foreigners. In 2006, 65 kg of heroin have been seized islandwide which is an increase of 26% compared to the 2005. A total of 2738 persons have received treatment at the NDDCB treatment centres, Department of Prisons and NGOs for drug use.

The NDDCB has organised 25 drug prevention programs islandwide from April to June this year.