President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed the need to give equal priority to both the confiscation of illegal drugs and the rehabilitation of individuals struggling with addiction.
He made these remarks today (25) during the second session of the ‘A Nation United’ National Steering Council, held at the Presidential Secretariat to advance national efforts to eliminate the drug menace, the President’s Media Division announced.
The President noted that society holds a range of diverse—and sometimes conflicting—views regarding the rehabilitation of those addicted to drugs. Therefore, he underscored the importance of gathering all perspectives to formulate a new, widely acceptable national action plan.
Taking these viewpoints into account, the President emphasized the need for a scientific and coordinated mechanism by bringing together all relevant state and non-state institutions. Attention was also paid to strengthening human resources by building a trained workforce dedicated to rehabilitation activities.
New Legal Framework for Immediate Drug Destruction
President Dissanayake instructed the Ministry of Justice to prepare a new legal framework by March next year to allow the immediate destruction of seized drugs at the point of confiscation. Work on this initiative has already begun under previous directives, and the President called for the process to be expedited in line with the matters discussed at the meeting.
Under the proposed legislation, a Magistrate would be required to visit the seizure site to conduct an inspection, after which samples would be collected by a Government Analyst. The remaining stock could then be destroyed immediately.
The President also directed authorities to accelerate the recruitment of permanent and temporary government analysts to fill existing vacancies in the Government Analyst’s Department.
Nationwide Awareness Programme
A nationwide awareness campaign under the ‘Quit – A Nation United’ initiative is scheduled for December 6 and 7, covering all District and Divisional Secretariats.
The President further instructed officials to ensure that all government institutions are able to certify themselves as drug-free, and called for necessary administrative measures to be implemented to achieve this target.
The event was attended by Hindu, Catholic and Islamic religious leaders, including Ven. Kuppiyawatte Bodhananda Nayaka Thero; Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala; Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne; Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Sampath Thuyacontha; Secretary to the Ministry of Justice Ayesha Jinasena; Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs W.P. Senadheera; Acting Inspector General of Police Sanjeewa Dharmaratne; government officials of the ‘A Nation United’ Steering Council; as well as artists and civil society representatives.
