Between 80 and 100 people die every day in Sri Lanka due to alcohol and substance abuse, according to Dr. Manoj Fernando, the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at Rajarata University.

Dr. Fernando made the remarks today (28) at an awareness press conference on illicit drug prevention and education held under the “A Nation United – National Drive” campaign launched by Sri Lanka Police to curb the spread of narcotics across the country.

He said no other individual cause was responsible for such a high number of deaths in Sri Lanka on a daily basis.

According to Dr. Fernando, smoking contributes to the highest number of deaths, while alcohol consumption alone is estimated to cause between 10 and 15 deaths each day. He added that illicit drug use has also increased significantly, with legal substances often acting as a gateway to illegal drugs.

“A major reason for the use of most illegal drugs in Sri Lanka is the gateway created by legal substances. Smoking acts as a primary entry point in Sri Lanka,” he said.

Dr. Fernando said there was substantial evidence indicating that many heroin users had previously smoked, while people who later used cannabis had generally consumed alcohol or cigarettes beforehand.

He also highlighted the broader health, social and economic consequences of substance abuse, noting that smoking causes a significant number of disease-related deaths every day.

“Additionally, 10 to 15 people die daily due to alcohol consumption. Although exact research on deaths from other illicit drugs is still developing, estimated data suggests that another 10 to 15 people die daily because of them,” he said.

Dr. Fernando stressed that the impact of substance abuse extends beyond individual deaths, affecting families, communities and the country's economy.

“On average, nearly 80 to 100 lives are lost every single day solely due to narcotic substances. When you look at these deaths, there is hardly any other single reason for such deaths,” he added.