The alleged increased use of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice”, among schoolchildren is gradually becoming a pressing concern in the legal, education, and social spheres. The general discourse on this matter is twofold – while some express fears that this situation would grow into an unmanageable menace among children and young adults, many claim that the authorities are not taking adequate action to stop the inflow of such drugs into the country and therefore see it as the “real issue” that needs to be addressed. 

Regardless, it is becoming apparent that eradicating the drug menace, especially in the case of drug use among children, requires a holistic, collective movement, not a traditional, law-enforcement-led war on drugs. 

Among other stakeholders, media institutions have an extremely powerful role in supporting this movement through ensuring that the social discourse on drug use among schoolchildren is an informed, factual one. In fact, media reports on the aforementioned situation have led to considerable discourse, especially on social media platforms. However, it focuses largely on the potential menace this situation could evolve into, rather than what practical measures could be taken at the school and household levels. 

In this context, media institutions should understand the power of their reporting on this matter. They should pay more attention to providing accurate and scientific information, such as using the specific scientific names of drugs rather than their street names, which have the potential to sensationalise various drugs and trigger curiosity among schoolchildren, in order to support well-planned approaches to addressing this issue, and promoting drug-related support systems such as counselling and rehabilitation services through their reporting in order to enable those close to schoolchildren to support the latter. At the same time, discussing the impacts of the most prevalent drugs among schoolchildren would be a good deterrent against the consumption of drugs. 

Responsible, constructive, and informed media reporting has a direct and significant impact on how parents, who typically spend the most time with their children, deal with their children when it comes to drugs. At present, most parents resort to severe reprimanding or physical punishment to deal with such children, which is an ineffective approach that is a result of the lack of awareness among parents about how to deal with a child who uses drugs and from where they could seek help. This lack of awareness could be addressed to a considerable degree through informed media reporting. Seeking professional services that support children using drugs also helps parents identify and rectify various factors that could have prompted their children to use drugs in the first place, and to employ a tailor-made approach to dealing with their children. What is more, all anti-drug programmes in regard to this issue should emphasise the role of the family as a supporter and protector of children, not an authority, which would result in conversations between parents and children being realistic, empathetic, supportive, and effective. 

Moreover, it is perhaps high time to pay more attention to school-level support systems. Sri Lanka has been discussing making counselling services available in schools for a long time; but very little progress has been achieved in this regard. While limited monetary resources may pose a challenge in implementing such initiatives, it is not impossible to appoint teachers or members of school administrations to promote the available drug-related support systems among children, being vigilant about school children’s behaviour, and raising awareness on the negative impacts of drug use, including through the inclusion of such information in the school curriculum. Even though such steps alone will not stop drug use among schoolchildren, saving at least a handful of children can be considered a victory in this case.