All Relevant Institutions Must Act in Line with a National Plan to Eradicate the Drug Menace - President

COLOMBO (News 1st): President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised that all relevant institutions must operate in accordance with a national plan in order to eradicate the drug menace.

The President made these remarks while attending the meeting of the “A Nation United” National Steering Council for the eradication of the drug menace, held this morning (02) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The President instructed that a report be submitted at the next meeting detailing the responsibilities assigned to each institution under the national plan to eliminate the drug menace, the progress achieved thus far and the programmes implemented by each institution to combat the problem.

According to the President's Media Division, it was revealed that approximately 70 per cent of the prison population consists of individuals addicted to narcotic substances. 

Attention was therefore directed towards measures that could be taken in relation to them in order to address the serious issue of prison overcrowding.