News
Media draws flak over coverage of drug abuse
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Sensational reports by some sectors about the spread of drugs among schoolchildren is likely to be politically motivated, Chairman of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa, told journalists in Colombo on Monday.
Rajapaksa said that only 9.1 percent of Sri Lankans now smoked. The number consuming betel had dropped to 13 percent and the intake of alcohol, too, had reduced in the last three years, Rajapaksa said.
“When you look at this trend it is obvious that there is an attempt to exaggerate the use of drugs among schoolchildren. It seems politically motivated to me. However, doing this kind of propaganda, targeting schoolchildren, is wrong,” he said.
Rajapaksa said in recent weeks some media institutions have been airing sensational reports on drug use, among children, to boost their ratings.
“They are creating an environment where children are placed in danger. They are trying to create an impression that hard drugs are prevalent in all schools,” he said.
Prof. Pujitha Wickramasinghe, a paediatrician, who also addressed the conference said that most of the journalists have no idea about the types of narcotics.
“If there is a discussion on heroin, they say everything that is detected as heroin. Now they are doing the same with crystal methamphetamine or ICE. This kind of reporting is like indirect advertising to popularize drugs,” he said.
Prof. Wickramasinghe said that when TV stations broadcast stories about drugs, they should refrain from airing images that are not relevant to the story. Media has a big responsibility,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, Shakya Nanayakkara said that about 40,000 Sri Lankans die each year due to the abuse of tobacco and alcohol.
“When these people die, tobacco and alcohol companies need to attract 40,000 new customers. However, the abusers of tobacco and alcohol are declining. If you look at this logically, if those who use tobacco and alcohol are declining, it is also obvious that the number of people who use harder drugs should have also declined,” he said.
Nanayakkara said in recent years there is an increase in the use of crystal methamphetamine or ICE among drug users. However, there is no data to support claims that a large number of students are abusing crystal methamphetamine, he said.
“There is a lot of misinformation too. People tell us that kids are chewing ICE. You can’t ingest crystal metamphetamine by chewing them or in lozenges. A lot of alleged narcotics targeted for children are brought to our lab and when we analyze it most of these products have no narcotic properties while some have cannabis compounds. There is no doubt that we must be vigilant about school children, but the threat posed by tobacco and alcohol is more,” he said.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (07) presented its flagship publication, the Annual Economic Review for 2024 (AER 2024), to President and Minister of Finance, Anura Kumara Disanayake, highlighting the steady progress of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery following the country’s most severe downturn in recent history.
The report was officially handed over by Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank, during a special ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat.
AER 2024 comprises four main chapters: Macroeconomic Developments, Conditions of the Financial System, Review of Central Bank’s Policies and Macroeconomic Outlook.
According to the Review, the Sri Lankan economy showed significant signs of recovery in 2024, following the deep economic crisis experienced two years ago. The recovery trajectory, though challenging, has been notably faster than that of many other debt-distressed countries.
Improvements in economic activity, a partial resurgence in purchasing power and reduced uncertainty are among the key positive indicators noted in the report.
The event was attended by Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, K. M. Mahinda Siriwardena, Secretary to the Treasury, Mrs. K. M. A. N. Daulagala, Senior Deputy Governor, Dr. C. Amarasekara, Assistant Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) S. Jegajeevan, Director of Economic Research and Dr. L. R. C. Pathberiya and Additional Director of Economic Research at the Central Bank Dr. V. D. Wickramarachchi.
[PMD]
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
Rains add to misery in quake-hit Myanmar as death toll rises to 3,471
Zimbabwe to scrap tariffs on US goods as it faces 18% Trump levy
-
Business17 hours agoColombo Coffee wins coveted management awards
-
Features2 days agoStarlink in the Global South
-
Business3 days agoDaraz Sri Lanka ushers in the New Year with 4.4 Avurudu Wasi Pro Max – Sri Lanka’s biggest online Avurudu sale
-
Business4 days agoStrengthening SDG integration into provincial planning and development process
-
Business3 days agoNew SL Sovereign Bonds win foreign investor confidence
-
Sports5 days agoTo play or not to play is Richmond’s decision
-
Features2 days agoModi’s Sri Lanka Sojourn
-
Sports4 days agoNew Zealand under 85kg rugby team set for historic tour of Sri Lanka