Sri Lanka stands committed to extend its fullest cooperation to all international efforts to combat the world drug problem, a problem which has no boarders, which threatens to destabilize all our societies, Minister Sagala Ratnayaka says. Minister of Law and Order and Southern Development made the observation while addressing the UN General Assembly, the permanent mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York said in a statement.

The Minister has also added that Sri Lanka highlights the need of using medical and psychological treatment, ensuring the welfare of specially identified social groups such as children, women and youth who are affected by the negative consequences of substance abuse.

“The GoSL has taken initial steps to establish “A Center for Sharing Intelligence on Drug Trafficking” to empower national institutions for accurate information dissemination in South Asian and South East Asian regions. Further, the GoSL provides treatment and rehabilitation services to those who abuse drugs using accepted screening and assessment methodologies implemented by the government, non-governmental and private institutions in the country.

We have adopted the requisite legislation on treatment of drug offenders which, inter-alia, empowers our judicial authorities to prescribe treatment to offenders in State or recognized private institutions, in lieu of punishment. GoSL works towards its determination of reducing and total elimination of substances with the effective analysis of social and scientific researches on narcotics and psychotropic substances, based on evidence based practices.

Outreach services, aftercare and rehabilitation services necessarily effective for all treatment interventions are provided throughout the country, especially focusing on clients, who are away from residential treatment programmes,” the Minister added.