COLOMBO (NewsRadio); Around 100,000 individuals including children in Sri Lanka are reportedly addicted to heroin at present.
The Chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board Shakya Nanayakkara said according to a recent survey over 300,000 individuals are also addicted to marijuana and ice narcotics.
Due to the concerning development, the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board has taken a number of steps including the staging of awareness programs to educate the public about the dangers of using intoxicated drugs.
It is estimated around 40,000 individuals of all ages in Sri Lanka die annually due to the use of dangerous intoxicated drugs.
The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol has also initiated programs to educate the people about the ill-effects of the use of not only dangerous drugs, but also cigarettes and alcohol.
The NATA meanwhile has welcomed the decision taken by the government to increase the prices of cigarettes and all kinds of alcohol since it has resulted in the reduction in consumption.
