Drug free Sri Lanka by 2020 - NDDCB Chairperson

By Ranil Wijayapala

Drug abuse is one of the prominent problems that affects the country in many aspects including social, economic, educational and health. The most highlighting issue with regard to drug abuse is that prisons in Sri Lanka accommodate approximately 40 percent of drug related offenders compelling the Government to spend large sums of money on them. So it has become a glaring problem for the country as they have become a burden to the country's economy and also to the society.

The National Dangerous Drug Control Board as the key government body under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development to manage the drug abuse management in Sri Lanka is fulfilling an uphill task of rescuing the drug addicted population from this menace, complying with the Mathata Thitha concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

To know how this task is going to be achieved the Sunday Observer had the following interview with Leisha de Silva Chandrasena, Chairperson of the National Dangerous Drug Control Board. Following are excerpts of the interview:

Q: The drug abuse situation has been subjected to discussion from time to time and we have observed that various goals have been set to control this situation in the country by the government and many other organisations. How serious is the drug abuse situation in Sri Lanka at present?

A: In accordance with the data collected through the Research conducted on the prevalence of drug abuse and the information available with us, the percentage of the Drug users especially Heroin and Cannabis users in Sri Lanka is less than three percent out of the entire population. However, the Sri Lankan Government annually spends a large amount of money for various matters related to the drug menace, which can be used for the development of the country. For example, the Health Ministry spends a large amount of money for the drug related diseases annually. The percentage of drug related offenders accommodated in the prison is approximately 40 percent out of the total number of Prisoners and the Government spends a large sum of money for them. They are a burden to the country, when in actual fact they could contribute for development. Accordingly the drug abuse directly affects the economy of Sri Lanka and also disrupts family relationships and personal health of the addicts.

Q: What are the contributing factors, if there is any increase or reduction in the drug abuse situation in Sri Lanka?

A: According to the data collected through the research conducted on this subject the number of total drug users has not been changed during the past couple of years and decades. It shows that there is a control in the drug problem and the Government has successfully managed the drug problem to a certain extent. It is clear that in view of the Mathata Thitha concept of the President and his commitment and determination to rescue the motherland from the drug menace there is no opportunity in Sri Lanka for the spread of enhance the drug problem. In addition, the preventive education programs and awareness programs are continuously conducted by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board and other relevant Government and non-governmental agencies to enhance the awareness of the community regarding the drug menace and to eliminate the false concepts attached to the drugs. Further, drug treatment and rehabilitation programs are conducted by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board and other relevant Government and non governmental agencies for reduction of drug demand while the Law Enforcement agencies are actively taking steps to reduce the drug supply. That is why we are able to maintain a control in this problem. However, when one group gets free from drug abuse a new group joined with this and in view of above there is no significant change in the number of drug addicts in Sri Lanka.

Q: There are tendencies among students and youth to use pharmaceutical drugs for intoxication. What are the measures the NDDCB has taken to identify such pharmaceutical drugs and avoid spreading such tendencies among youth?

A: NDDCB has already taken action to enhance the awareness of the school children regarding the adverse effects of the using of Pharmaceutical Drugs and enhance their life skills to enable them to avoid these problems by their own. Further we are conducting awareness programs for the pharmacies in collaboration with the Drug Regulatory Authority.

Q: What are the other new tendencies the NDDCB has identified among drug addicts in Sri Lanka?

A: According to the data collected by the surveys and research conducted by NDDCB we have identified that there is a new tendency to use of synthetic drugs and injecting drug use. It is necessary to emphasise that both these methods are more harmful than old methods.

Q: How successful were the efforts taken by NDDCB to treat and rehabilitate the drug addicted people in the country?

A: The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board has been providing residential treatment service for drug dependants since 1990. The success rate of the above is approximately 30 percent at present within the range of one year. Currently NDDCB is conducting four Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres for the care and Rehabilitation of the Drug addicts, especially a separate Treatment Centre is conducted for the young children.

The Board has extended Treatment services for drug users through the Out Reach Treatment program and Community Based Treatment services and produced economical and successful results. However we have realised that some persons totally get free from the drug addiction after undergoing treatment but there are relapses as well.

Q: What are the challenges the NDDCB facing at present in the process of treating and rehabilitating the drug addicts in Sri Lanka?

A: Some drug addicts do not come for the treatment despite several efforts taken by us and other relevant agencies.

In addition, sometimes rehabilitated persons become addicted to another drug after undergoing treatment for Heroin or Cannabis.

Q: The drug addicts among prisoners and the presence of the drug dealers among prisoners seem to be a big challenge in the endeavour of controlling drug addiction among Sri Lankan citizen. How the NDDCB intervene in this issue in controlling the drug addiction?

A: A special Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre named in Kandakadu where the Ex LTTE cadres were rehabilitated, was established during the past year in line with the direct instructions and guidance of the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, by NDDCB in consultation with the Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Ministry for the care and rehabilitation of the Drug Dependent Prisoners with the aim of providing a more effective treatment and rehabilitation program. Action has been taken to get the drug addicted Prisoners transferred to this special rehabilitation centre through the Courts.

We are also conducting treatment programs at other nine prisons and our treatment officers have been full-time attached to those prisons. Further, our officers regularly visit the prisons to meet drug users, traffickers and dealers and they provide counselling service to these people to change their mind.

Q: What are the new measures the NDDCB has taken to further control the drug abuse situation in the country?

A: We have expanded our monitoring network and in addition to the Hotline introduced during the year 2010 an Information Desk was introduced and established during the last month to record the complaints and information received from any source. We take action to refer the information received to this Information Desk to relevant agencies and their response for the information is also followed up by us.

We have taken action to strengthen the relationship amongst the stake holders and currently we are working together with the Provincial Councils and District Secretariats for control and prevention of dangerous drugs. Further we have expanded our outreach service throughout the Country and currently our outreach Officers are working in all the Provinces. The Precursor Control Authority was established in the year 2010 to monitor the import, export, deal and use of the precursor chemicals in order to control the misuse of these Chemicals.

Q: Is there any necessity to introduce new laws to control the drug abuse situation in the country?

If there are any, what are they?

A: Amendment of Law and introducing of new laws is very important to deal with the development in the Narcotic Drugs area of the world and to tackle the new trends arising from time to time in this field. Therefore, in January 2008 the legislature of Sri Lanka passed the "Conventions against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, No. 01 of 2008" to combat with illicit traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. This Act has specified 23 chemicals which are essential to industry under control as they are pre- cursor Chemicals, meaning to say that these chemicals can be illicitly used to manufacture of synthetic Heroin and other synthetic drugs. To reduce the demand and using of the Narcotic Drugs, the Drug Dependant Persons (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act No.54 of 2007 has been enacted in Sri Lanka in 2007, which provides provisions to treat Drug Dependants compulsorily, considering them as patients who need palliative care, and not as criminals.

At present NDDCB is in the process of drafting a new Act to repeal the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance which was enacted in the year 1929.

Q: The community participation is a must in controlling the drug abuse situation in the country. In which way the NDDCB take the community participation into the programs to control drug abuse?

A: We received information regarding the drug related issues through the 1984 hotline and information desk from the community and it shows that the community has a need to join us for drug control. Apart from that the NDDCB has expanded its outreach service and commenced campaigns to bring our need and commitment to eradicate drug menace from Sri Lanka, to each and every citizen of the country. For this task, we have decentralised the duties and responsibilities of the staff of NDDCB in the Provincial, District, Divisional and finally rural level.

Also we have commenced a Counselling Course for the Government Officers and others and we expect to bring our vision to the community through the persons who are participating for this course. Our view is to enhance the knowledge of the participants of this Counselling Course regarding the drug menace and related issues and empower them to enable them to provide a better service for the community.

Q: The task of controlling cannot be achieved by a single organisation. So how the NDDCB has created partnership with other organisations to achieve this task?

A: NDDCB is always maintaining a close relationship with the stake holders mentioned in the Sri Lanka National Policy for the Prevention and Control of Drug Abuse and work together with the Government and non governmental organisations engaged in drug control and prevention activities. NDDCB being the focal point who co-ordinates with the local and international agencies related to this field convenes senior officials of all the Law Enforcement Agencies to discuss and get decisions on control of Narcotic Drugs.

Q: How optimistic are you about achieving the goal of 'Drugs Abuse Free Sri Lanka by 2020'?

A: NDDCB is planning to build up a social atmosphere to urge each and every drug user to get free from drugs and come for treatment voluntary and we hope to reduce the drug demand in the community. Further we have build up a monitoring system to monitor the effectiveness and productivity of the activities of the Law Enforcement Agencies and to urge them to enhance the investigation and detections to reduce the Drug supply. However NDDCB believe that we will be able to reduce the drug circulation in the country at a considerable rate by the year 2015 and ultimately we will be able to achieve the goal of Drug Free Sri Lanka by the year 2020.