Awareness program bear fruit:

Drug prevention progresses steadily

by Omar RAJARATHNAM

Measures to prevent drug abuse have improved tremendously in the country due to the ongoing awareness programs, Chairperson of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, Leisha De Silva Chandrasena told the Sunday Observer .

According to data published in 2010, the number of people seeking rehabilitation for drug abuse has risen compared to previous years due to the stringent legislation to protect them from exploitation, she said.

"At present, our five rehabilitation centres in the main cities of Kandy, Galle, Nittambuwa and two in Colombo segregate inmates according to their duration of addiction, thereby helping inmates to get into comfort groups. This helps us streamline treatment", the Chairperson said.

The Drug Dependant Persons (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act No. 54 of 2007 allows treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependents subsequent to a government medical officer certifying the level of dependency.

Elaborating on the Act she said, "It is important that addicts are treated as patients as opposed to offenders for effective rehabilitation.

The Act also facilitates the conversion of some prisons into rehabilitation centres and the Weerawila prison has been selected as the pilot project where 750 inmates from various prisons have come under one roof for rehabilitation. This is done in collaboration with the Department of Prisons. The Thaldena and Pallekele prisons will follow suit. This is part of the government's reactive strategy to combat drug use in the country".

"Various proactive strategies are also being devised. We have set up Students' Quality Societies in schools, a mentor program where the most popular students of schools participate in creating awareness of the consequences of drug use.

Our outreach workers can now contact district officers and Grama Niladhari officers who have close contact with people in their areas to trace addicts who have not received any assistance and channel them for rehabilitation.

Risk group such as threewheel drivers, private bus employees and municipal workers are being enlightened on their social responsibility to avoid any activity that supports drug use.

School authorities have also been made aware of the procedures to deal with such incidents.

We are also keen in social re-integration of rehabilitated drug dependants.

We seek support from all sectors of the public to eradicate the drug menace in the country" she said.