(எம்.ஆர்.எம்.வசீம், இராஜதுரை ஹஷான்) போதைப்பொருள் பாவனை தொடர்பான இலங்கையின் தேசிய உத்தியை முற்றிலும் தண்டிக்கும் செயலாக்க மாதிரியிலிருந்து மாற்றியமைத்து, ஒருவர் தனது பயன்பாட்டுக்காக சிறிதளவு போதைப்பொருள் வைத்திருப்பதை குற்றமற்றதாக்க வேண்டும் என இலங்கை தமிழ் அரசுக் கட்சியின் திருக…
(M.R.M. Wasim, Rajadurai Hashan) Sri Lanka’s national strategy on drug abuse should be changed from a purely punitive approach to decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use, said Sri Lanka Tamil Arasu Party MP Shanmugam Kukathasan. He made the remarks while participating in the adjournment motion on the eradication of drugs and prevention of organized crime held for the second day in Parliament on Friday (26). He added, “Drug abuse has evolved from a social problem to a serious national crisis. It has spread not only to the urban areas of Sri Lanka but also to the countryside, affecting the entire country. This menace targeting the youth of this country is shaking the very foundation of the country’s social, economic and moral values.” By mid-2026, while the government had made a significant number of arrests, most of those arrested were low-income street users and small-scale traders. They were often languishing in prisons because they could not pay fines for the small quantities of drugs they had for their own use. This approach, which prioritized security alone, has led to severe overcrowding in Sri Lanka’s prisons. Meanwhile, international drug lords and their domestic supporters continue to operate from abroad. The government has focused more on street-level raids. Meanwhile, the main networks of cross-border drug supply remain intact. The impact of the drug crisis is being felt most acutely in the north and east. It is alleged that the money earned from the drug trade has also infiltrated the Sri Lankan state machinery. This has allowed traffickers to continue to operate their networks from within prison walls. The government must strengthen and clean up the state agencies responsible for drug control. If the government does not address internal corruption, all the aggressive external checks will be ineffective. Reports of violence and lack of supervision in compulsory rehabilitation centers such as Kandakadu and Senapura indicate that these centers are operating more like makeshift prisons than places of healing. Sri Lanka’s national strategy on drug abuse needs to shift from a purely punitive approach to a balanced approach with public health as the mediator. To this end, I make the following recommendations. First, the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use should be decriminalized. Such individuals should be referred to voluntary, community-based treatment programs run by health professionals. Second, Sri Lanka’s rehabilitation system should be civil and medically led, with all treatment modalities evidence-based and culturally relevant and fully available in both official languages. Third, law enforcement resources should be redirected to target the assets of drug trafficking ringleaders and the means used for trafficking. Fourth, Sri Lanka’s border security infrastructure should be improved by installing modern, high-speed scanners at all major ports and airports. The State Chemical Analyst’s Department and the National Narcotics Laboratory should be provided with modern diagnostic equipment to expedite drug analysis reports that would otherwise delay court decisions. Fifth, above all, public awareness should be documented to raise awareness about drug use and its consequences. Legal reforms should be implemented to target the real sources of drug supply. He said that the drug menace, which has evolved from a social problem to a national crisis, cannot be faced by government forces, government officials or government organizations alone. The drug menace can only be faced if everyone works together and with commitment.