Drug offences notable in some areas - NDDCB chief

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

Gampaha, Anuradhapura and Kataragama are not far behind although Colombo ranks high in drug related offences, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) chairman Leisha de Silva said.

“However, I must say that these incidents have received much publicity because law enforcement agencies have been active in arresting drug offenders,” she said. De Silva said while law enforcement agencies are clamping down hard on drug offenders,

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has directed the NDDCB to expand its drug abuse prevention and treatment services throughout the country.

The NDDCB chairman said they are taking steps to set up a district office in Jaffna to treat drug abuse victims on the Defence Secretary’s orders.

“We are looking for a place to establish our new district office in Jaffna. It could be a government owned premises or a local government office.

We will soon start our drug prevention programmes in the North,” de Silva said. “We have stepped up action to enhance our outreach on drug prevention and treatment programmes in the North and East Provinces,” she said.

Asked about the drug abuse situation in Jaffna, the NDDCB chairman said the users of cannabis has shown a considerable growth in the peninsula since recent times.

“We are planning to control the situation with both law enforcement and rehabilitation efforts,” she said.

This is expected to invigorate the implementation process of the National Drug Policy on a solid base, she said.