Drug offences decline

Mathata Thitha bearing fruit:

The number of arrests for cannabis and heroin related offences in 2009 has declined considerably compared to the year 2008.

According to the statistics released by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board there have been only 13,300 cannabis related arrests in the country during 2009 whereas the corresponding figure for 2008, was 20,097. Similarly heroin related arrests in 2009 were only 5,431 compared to 8,050 in 2008. In both cases the arrests have been reduced by about one-third.

There has also been a considerable reduction in the number of youth aged 25 - 29 who have been arrested for these offences in 2009. While 5,397 youth in this age group were arrested for cannabis related offences in 2008 the corresponding figure for 2009 was only 2,361. Corresponding figures for heroin related arrests were 5394 (2008) and 4023 (2009).

Similar reductions were also seen in the arrest of teenagers for the same offences during 2009. However, there has been a 11 percent increase in the number of cannabis related arrests of those aged 30 and above in 2009 compared to 2008. In the case of heroin related offences the number of arrests in the same age group has increased by seven percent. As before, the Western province leads in the number of offenders followed by Southern and Central provinces.