President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials to establish a mechanism to actively engage parents in protecting children from the drug menace.
He emphasised that protecting children from this menace depends more on strong parent-child relationships than on the law alone. He also stressed the need to directly educate parents on the seriousness of the drug menace and how to monitor their children’s behavior, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement.
The President issued these instructions while participating in a meeting of the “A Nation United” National Steering Committee, established to eradicate the drug menace from the country, held this morning (30) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The President also highlighted the need for a trusted individual to provide guidance to parents if their children are at risk of being exposed to drug use. He noted that parents generally seek the assistance of a teacher or religious leader in such situations.
Accordingly, he instructed officials to develop a systematic programme to provide reliable guidance, taking this into consideration. He also pointed out the need for special training if teachers are to be involved in this programme, the statement said.
The President further emphasised the need to strengthen the programme being implemented to dismantle the distribution networks linked to the drug trade.
It was also noted that the number of forensic reports completed daily has increased following the expansion of facilities and improved efficiency at the Government Analyst’s Department.
A total of 8,000 forensic reports related to drugs were completed during September alone. Data entry activities have also been strengthened with the assistance of Navy personnel.
It was further revealed that the improved efficiency in obtaining forensic reports has enabled a significant number of persons remanded in custody for drug-related offences to be released on bail, thereby helping to reduce prison overcrowding, the statement said.
The President also instructed officials to refer the new Bill on drug control, which has been presented to Parliament, to the Committee in the first week of October, obtain approval and take steps to have it passed by Parliament by the third week of October, the PMD stated.
Discussions were also held on developing a centralised digital system and software linking the Police, the Government Analyst’s Department, the Department of Prisons and the judicial system. The President instructed officials to discuss the matter with the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and other relevant officials and take steps to address the practical issues involved.
The President also inquired into the measures taken to facilitate the direct submission of expert reports and Government Analyst’s reports to the courts by email, in accordance with the Act No. 07 of 2025. He also reviewed the measures taken to fill vacancies in the Legal Draftsman’s Department.
Programmes implemented in international schools to combat the drug menace and their effectiveness were also reviewed.
The President also highlighted the need to develop social media programmes targeting the younger generation to raise awareness of the dangerous consequences of drug use.
Discussions were also held on the drug-related challenge spreading in the Northern and Eastern regions following the war, and the programmes being implemented to address this challenge.
The President also highlighted the importance of maintaining the 1818 hotline, introduced to provide information on drug trafficking, distribution and related illegal activities and conducting a publicity programme on the response to information received through the 1818 hotline to strengthen public confidence in the service.
The President also reviewed the progress of the rehabilitation process, including measures to increase the capacity of rehabilitation centres, the PMD added.
