A senior academic has highlighted the severe toll of substance abuse in Sri Lanka, estimating that between 80 and 100 people die each day due to alcohol and drug consumption, with smoking identified as the leading contributor.
Between 80 and 100 people die daily in Sri Lanka as a result of substance use, according to Dr. Manoj Fernando, dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at Rajarata University. Fernando presented these findings at a media briefing on Friday as part of the national "Rataama Ekatata" campaign focused on drug prevention and education. He characterized substance use as a factor responsible for more daily deaths than virtually any other single cause in the country.
Smoking emerged as the primary driver of substance-related deaths, though alcohol consumption also contributes significantly to the mortality figures. Fernando estimated that alcohol use accounts for approximately 10 to 15 deaths daily. Illicit drug use has shown a concerning upward trend, with Fernando noting that deaths directly attributable to illegal drugs remain incompletely documented through formal research, though available evidence suggests 10 to 15 daily fatalities from this category alone.
A notable pattern identified by Fernando involves substance escalation, where individuals progress from legal substances to illegal ones. Many people who later developed heroin addiction had previously struggled with smoking, while cannabis users frequently had prior experience with alcohol or cigarettes. Fernando stressed that the cumulative health, social, and economic consequences of substance abuse demand greater institutional focus on prevention and educational initiatives to address the crisis.
