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| Sunday, 12 October 2003 |
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Lankan breaks new ground in 'Prevention of Drug Abuse' NGO by Carol Aloysius Stopping a person from taking his first cigarette, not only prevents him from becoming a chained smoker, but closes the door to other drugs that he or she may feel tempted to take as well. So says Shirley Tissera, the newly elected president of the prestigious International Federation of Non-governmental Organisations for the Prevention of Drug and Substance Abuse (IFNGO), who recently became the first Sri Lankan to head the IFNGO after a lapse of nearly 15 years. "Tobacco is a `gateway' drug. It leads one to experiment with other hard drugs. Most drug addicts have been smokers before they became hooked on heroin, cannabis or any other hard drug", Tissera told the "Sunday Observer" in a recent interview. Because of this, he is particularly happy that there has been a drop in tobacco smoking in the island, which he attributes to the collective awareness raising efforts by various NGOs. "We hope this will lead to a drop in the use of other drugs as well", he said. An estimated 40,000 persons are said to be heroin users, and another 200,000 persons cannabis users in Sri Lanka today. Drugs seized in Sri Lanka by the drug law enforcement agencies in year 2002 included cannabis, heroin and opium. The largest quantity of drugs seized was cannabis, while the highest number of arrests was in respect of heroin. The highest increase in cannabis arrests was in the years 25-29 age group, while the largest group arrested for heroin fell into the age group 20-24 years. according to the latest information by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB). The majority of prison inmates are drug addicts. Commenting on likely reasons as to why so many young people were taking hard drugs, Tissera pointed out that peer pressure was an important cause. "Their school mates or university batch-mates are often the first point of introduction to hard drugs. Soon it becomes a habit that is hard to break. Parents must therefore be more watchful of their children and especially the friends they go out with", he said. Unemployment and the frustration arising from this is another reason which has driven young people to take to drugs, while the large exodus of parents, especially those to the Middle East, is another contributory cause. So what will be his role as President of IFNGO in bringing down the rising incidence of drug addiction in Sri Lanka?. "The IFNGO is a federation of which Sri Lanka became a member in 1984. Today, there are 79 affiliate bodies in over 40 countries and we are very strong especially in the ASEAN region as we have a solid government push behind us in all our programs. In Sri Lanka we have 76 members which include several NGOs some of whom are totally committed to fighting drug abuse, like 'Sumithrayo'. As President of IFNGO, I shall give all support needed by NGOs and other organisations to disseminate information, conduct training programs and hold workshops with the end goal of eradicating or at least reducing the widespread use of hard drugs in this country", he said." I also wish to get more country federations to come together and share their experiences in fighting the drug war". As President of the International Federation, he also hopes to get more countries involved in the drug war by widening membership in areas like Africa, America and North Europe. He hopes to promote the concept of Asian Cities Against Drugs which will be similar to their counterparts in Europe where cities and towns come together to free themselves of the drug menace with a common plan of action." I've asked the deputy mayor of Colombo to call all the mayors to come together to form a common plan of action such as a `no-smoking' area or `no-drinking' area in their respective cities and towns. IFNGO has also put out a draft policy on drugs which will be presented to 40 governments we represent. Of the future drug scenario, he envisioned a positive downward trend. "This is because a concerted effort is being made on the part of everyone - the police, the government, and the NGOs to fight the drug menace. This is a model that other countries should follow". Police participation is a definite plus point which has resulted in the recent rise in arrests for drug abuse. The new IFNGO President would also like to see more facilities for rehabilitating offenders such as counselling units and treatment centres. He also wishes to see that all existing treatment centres in Sri Lanka, especially those practising non-traditional methods such as meditation, be registered and come under the purview of the NDDCB. Additionally, he would like to see much less advertising of drugs such as tobacco and alcohol." There should be strict guidelines about this", he emphasised. Tissera was elected President of IFNGO on August 14 this year and will continue to hold office till 2005. |
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