MOHAMED ALI SABRY
COLOMBO ; The fight against drugs is not merely a law-enforcement campaign; it is a national mission to reclaim the soul of our beautiful country. Drug addiction has corroded communities, weakened families, and devastated countless young lives. If Sri Lanka is to rise again as a healthy, dignified, and prosperous nation, it must decisively win this war. Every citizen, institution, and arm of government bears a solemn duty to support this effort.
It is both admirable and reassuring that the President himself has taken personal leadership in this struggle. His commitment has brought national attention and political will to an issue that too often slipped through the cracks of bureaucracy. Yet, leadership alone is not enough. Beyond the rhetoric, propaganda, and ceremonial displays, our response must be logical, scientific, and sustainable, guided by data, compassion, and evidence rather than emotion or spectacle.
Understanding the Ecosystem of the Drug Problem
The drug crisis is multifaceted, involving distinct categories of actors, from drug lords and importers, to main distributors, sub-distributors, peddlers, and ultimately, users and addicts. Each group requires a tailored response. A one-size-fits-all approach only clogs prisons, overburdens the justice system, and fails to address the root causes.
While large-scale traffickers and smugglers must face the full force of the law, users and addicts should be approached differently. Addiction is primarily a medical and social problem, not merely a criminal one. Those trapped in dependency need rehabilitation, counseling, and reintegration, not indefinite remand and stigma.
Towards a Holistic Institutional Framework
A comprehensive strategy must mobilize every stakeholder, the Police, Judiciary, Government Analysts, Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation Authorities, Medical Professionals, Educators, the Media, and the Administrative Services.
• Law enforcement must focus its firepower on disrupting supply chains and dismantling trafficking networks.
• The Judiciary must be empowered with specialized courts to fast-track major narcotics cases, ensuring swift justice while upholding due process.
• Rehabilitation and corrections services must expand facilities such as open prisons and community-based correctional programs to convert offenders into productive citizens.
• The medical and educational sectors must lead awareness campaigns, emphasizing that prevention is better than cure.
• The media, both traditional and digital, must serve as a moral and social partner in changing public attitudes, not glamorizing, but exposing the true cost of addiction.
The Imperative of Prevention and Education
We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. Prevention must begin in schools, universities, and homes. Awareness campaigns should not be occasional events but a continuous public-education effort integrated into the national curriculum. Youth must be equipped with knowledge, resilience, and self-discipline to resist the temptations that lead to addiction.
Investment, Research, and Scientific Methodology
A war of this magnitude cannot be fought on slogans alone. It requires adequate funding, modern equipment, trained personnel, research-driven policies, and inter-agency coordination. Scientific analysis should guide every stage, from detection to rehabilitation. Delays in forensic reports, for instance, keep suspects languishing in remand prisons for months, undermining justice and faith in the system. That must end.
Proper investment can enable timely investigations, better detection technology, effective rehabilitation centers, and data-based policymaking. Without this, even the best intentions risk becoming unsustainable.
Rehabilitation, Reintegration, and Renewal
For users and addicts, punishment should give way to opportunity, an opportunity to heal, reform, and rejoin society. Rehabilitation must not be a symbolic exercise but a structured program involving medical care, skill training, and community support. Every successful reintegration story represents a victory in this war.
Collective Responsibility and National Resolve
The drug menace is not the government’s problem alone, it is our collective moral challenge. If we are to reclaim our nation from the grip of narcotics, we must stand as one people: determined, disciplined, and united. We must support our government’s initiatives unreservedly, while demanding accountability and professionalism in their execution.
A scientific, holistic, and compassionate approach, blending education, prevention, rehabilitation, and firm punishment, is the only path to lasting victory. Let us all play our part to ensure that Sri Lanka, once again, becomes a land where youth can dream freely, families live without fear, and communities thrive in dignity and hope. (The writer is the former minister of foreign. Affairs .The article is copied from his social media)
