The Department of Prisons stated that compared to previous years, the number of students in General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level (O/L) and Advanced Level (A/L) Grades who are imprisoned on charges of drug use has increased to 5,000 in 2021.
Speaking during the Ada Derana Big Focus programme, Prisons Department Media Spokesman and Prisons Commissioner Chandana Ekanayake said: “The imprisonment of O/L and A/L students for drug-related offenses has increased in the recent past. The number of such students stood at 2,000 in 2015, but has increased to 5,000 in 2021. This indicates that the use of drugs among children between the ages of 16 and 17 years has risen, which is an adverse trend.”
Ekanayake also said that most of those who were imprisoned over drug use and related offenses were between the ages of 30 and 40 years, and added that the imprisonment of those between the ages of 22 and 30 years has now gone up. Considering all the related data, he said that an increase in the use of drugs among youth can be seen at present.
When queried regarding those who are in custody for large-scale drug trafficking, he said: “Based on the information given to us by the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Police Department, we have separated such suspects. Around 40 such drug traffickers are being detained separately in the Boossa High Security Prison. All the mobile phones there are jammed, and security is provided by the Special Task Force (STF). Everything is being conducted under supervision.”
In addition to these suspects, Ekanayake said, the suspects who have been accused of having used and transported drugs are being detained in other prisons.
It is reported that the use of drugs among schoolchildren has increased significantly during the past few years. As a remedy, the Government has taken steps to launch several drug-prevention programmes targeting schoolchildren. Under one such programme, as recently stated by Minister of Education and Attorney Dr. Susil Premajayantha, measures will be taken to check school vans and buses, and bags of schoolchildren for drugs. The said programmes are being implemented by the Ministry of Education with the support of the Police Department.