Measures have been taken by the government to establish a Presidential Task Force to prevent the use of toxic and dangerous drugs.
The matter was disclosed at a discussion presided by Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapakshe and President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake yesterday (19) at the Presidential Secretariat.
A special programme to prevent the use of toxic and dangerous drugs by integrating all agencies involved in drug prevention is to be implemented under this task force.
Future activities and plans were discussed at length.
Special attention was paid to the spread of drugs among school children and Immediate measures to be taken to prevent the spread of drugs was also discussed.
Drug prevention, identifying drug addicts and drug dealers, providing treatment and counselling services for drug addicts was also discussed.
Attention was also paid to inmates currently in prison due to drug addiction.
The measures to be taken in this regard and the formal treatment of them in prisons was also subject to discussion.
Further discussion regarding the passing of an Act to empower voluntary centres, community-based rehabilitation, probation services, as well as to rehabilitate drug addicts were also discussed at length.
Minister of Public Security Tiran Allas, Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reform Wasantha Perera, Commissioner of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya, Commissioner General Rehabilitation Major General D. D. U. K. Hettiarachchi (Retired), Shakya Nanayakkara of the National Board of Control for Dangerous Drugs, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Kamal Silva, Director General of the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment Rama Murthy and several others attended the event.
