Sri Lanka university students face growing drug addiction crisis

Professor Amila Isuru, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, has issued a warning regarding a significant drug addiction crisis among the country's university students. Speaking during the ‘A Nation United’ national anti-drug programme, Isuru noted that approximately 70% to 80% of male students who drop out of university are reportedly affected by some form of drug addiction.

The professor highlighted that drug traffickers are actively targeting schoolchildren and university students to encourage narcotics use. He explained that addiction often becomes a cycle where individuals continue use not for pleasure, but to manage debilitating withdrawal symptoms.

Experts are calling for urgent, coordinated interventions to address this public health emergency. Recommended actions include strengthening campus counseling and rehabilitation services, increasing collaboration between university authorities and law enforcement, and implementing awareness programmes starting from a student's first year of enrollment.