Parents may soon be able to test children for drug use

Colombo, July 4 (Daily Mirror) - The government is planning to introduce drug testing kits through pharmacies, allowing parents to privately check whether their children have become involved in drug use as part of a broader national strategy to combat narcotics.

The proposal was discussed at the meeting of the “A Nation United” National Steering Council for the eradication of the drug menace, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat.

During the meeting, the President stressed that all relevant institutions must implement a coordinated national plan to eradicate the drug menace and directed that progress reports on responsibilities and programmes undertaken by each institution be presented at the council's next meeting.

Special attention was also given to preventing drug use among schoolchildren. Officials said 225 awareness programmes targeting teachers and students have already been conducted, while universities have established student peer groups to carry out anti-drug awareness campaigns. The President also instructed the establishment of a committee led by the Ministry of Education to coordinate efforts to eliminate drugs from schools and called for a nationwide survey on drug prevalence in the school system.

The meeting also reviewed progress on new legislation to speed up the destruction of seized narcotics, improve the management of court exhibits through an automated system and decentralise laboratory facilities to reduce delays in investigations. Officials said draft legislation on the rehabilitation of drug-dependent persons has been finalised and will be gazetted soon.

Authorities further discussed strengthening maritime operations to prevent drug smuggling, enhancing the capacity of the Police Narcotics Bureau and the Department of the Government Analyst, and introducing legal amendments to facilitate the confiscation of vehicles, including multi-day fishing vessels, used in drug trafficking.