Drug addicts will not be arrested and imprisoned: Minister

Parents and guardians of drug addicts urged to intervene to send them for rehabilitation voluntarily. Drug addicts who volunteer to rehabilitate will be referred to intermediary centers where counsellors will identify their level of addiction and rehabilitate them accordingly 

By Ajith Siriwardana  

Claiming that the government was not expecting to arrest and imprison drug addicts, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala yesterday urged parents and guardians of drug addicts to intervene to send them for rehabilitation voluntarily.  

The Minister said this at the meeting of the Kalutara District Steering Committee under ‘A Nation United’ anti-drug campaign.  
He said drug rehabilitation should take place voluntarily as drug addicts are individuals who require treatment.  

“Drug addicts are not distributors or drug smugglers. They must be rescued from their addiction,” he said.  

He said several intermediary centers will be established in the country for rehabilitation of drug addicts and added that such centers have already been established in Kalpitiya, Ampara and Mihintale.  

The Minister said drug addicts who volunteer to rehabilitate will be referred to intermediary centers where counsellors will identify their level of addiction.

“The counsellors will decide, according to their level, whether they could be rehabilitated at homes under parents’ care or they need 14-day rehabilitation in intermediary centres. The acute addicts will be hospitalized. Those who need long term rehabilitation will be referred to rehabilitation centres maintained by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board and the Bureau of Rehabilitation,” he said.  

He said the Health Minister has agreed to allocate ten hospitals for the drug rehabilitation programme.  

The Minister also said the Industries Minister has agreed to provide 5,000 job opportunities though the Ministry for rehabilitated drug addicts.