Sri Lanka President says every citizen must help eradicate drugs

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (January 06) warned that the growing drug menace has become a national disaster and called on all citizens to take responsibility to protect future generations, stressing that social wellbeing is as important as physical development.

The President made these remarks while participating in the third meeting of the “A Nation United” National Steering Council, held this morning at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. The meeting brought together the Most Venerable members of the Maha Sangha of the three main Buddhist chapters, along with leaders of other religions.

Addressing the gathering, President Dissanayake emphasised that the fight against drugs cannot be handled by the Government alone. He said every citizen has a role to play in eradicating drugs, as the problem threatens the stability of society and the safety of the country’s youth.

The meeting reviewed the progress of the national operation “Quit – A Nation United,” which is being carried out under the theme “A Drug-Free Nation – A Happier Tomorrow.” The programme follows a multi-pronged approach that includes disrupting drug supply across the island, expanding raids and arrests, rehabilitating drug users, strengthening prevention programmes and empowering communities to resist drugs.

This initiative is being implemented as a united national effort involving the Government, security forces, civil organisations and the public. Its goal is to create strong social pressure against drug traffickers and distributors, while ensuring proper rehabilitation for those addicted to narcotic drugs.

During the meeting, officials presented updates on ongoing raids, arrests and rehabilitation programmes. The President expressed his appreciation to all institutions, officers and members of the public who are actively contributing to this national effort.

Authorities revealed that from January 1, 2025 to January 5, 2026, large quantities of drugs had been seized across the country. These included 1,821.174 kilograms of heroin, 3,865.710 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine known as “Ice,” 17,189.377 kilograms of cannabis, 38.958 kilograms of cocaine, and 4,049,569 narcotic tablets and capsules.

In line with decisions taken at the previous council meeting, attention was also given to the drafting of new laws to ensure the speedy destruction of seized drug stocks. The President instructed relevant authorities to accelerate this process and reviewed the progress made in destroying drugs currently held in custody.

The meeting also discussed the importance of identifying the social backgrounds of people addicted to drugs. Participants agreed on the need to conduct a survey to collect accurate data, which would help design more effective rehabilitation and prevention strategies.

Further discussions focused on building a strong mechanism involving schools, government institutions, voluntary groups and cultural organisations to expand the reach of the national programme. Plans were also made to strengthen public awareness campaigns with the involvement of religious leaders, using the close relationship between villages and places of worship.

The meeting was attended by the Most Venerable Niyangoda Vijithasiri Thera, Anunayake of the Malwathu Chapter; the Most Venerable Narampanawa Ananda Thera, Anunayake of the Asgiriya Chapter; the Most Venerable Waleboda Gunasiri Thera, Anunayake of the Ramanna Maha Nikaya; and the Most Venerable Kuppiyawatte Bodhananda Thera. Religious leaders from the Catholic, Hindu and Muslim communities, including Fr Nishantha Fernando, Sri Velu Suresh Sharma Kurukkal, Muthusamy Alagesan Kurukkal and Maulavi Ash-Sheikh M. Arkam Nooramith, were also present.

Among the officials in attendance were Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, and Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), Inspector General of Police, Attorney at Law Priyantha Weerasooriya, along with several other senior officials.