President moves to introduce law for on-site destruction of seized narcotics

Wednesday, 26 November 2025 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Sri Lanka must adopt a two-track response to the country’s drug problem, focusing both on intercepting narcotics and on treating addiction.

Speaking at the second session of the ‘A Nation United’ National Steering Council at the Presidential Secretariat, he said efforts to rehabilitate users often divide public opinion, making it necessary to design a plan that draws on a wide range of views.

He called for a coordinated and evidence-based strategy involving State agencies and non-Governmental groups, and noted the need to develop a specialised workforce to handle rehabilitation programmes.

The President instructed the Ministry of Justice to prepare legislation by March 2026 allowing seized drugs to be destroyed immediately at the point of confiscation. The proposed framework would require a Magistrate to examine the narcotics on-site. Samples would then be taken by the Government Analyst, and the rest disposed of at the location.

To make this process workable, he asked for accelerated recruitment to fill permanent and temporary vacancies in the Government Analyst’s Department.

A nationwide awareness drive under the ‘Quit – A Nation United’ campaign will be held on 6 and 7 December across all District and Divisional Secretariats. He also directed officials to introduce administrative steps enabling government institutions to declare themselves drug-free.

The meeting brought together religious leaders from Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic and Catholic communities, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, senior ministry officials, law enforcement officers, artists and civil society groups.