Increase in cannabis abuse

Lakshmi de Silva

There were 28,162 arrests of persons in drug related offences in 2008. Nearly 60 percent of such persons were 30 years old or those above that age, according to the latest report of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board.

The use of cannabis had increased and was becoming a social problem, the report revealed.

There were 10,845 cannabis related offenders in 2004 but the number had increased threefold in 2008 to 33,848.

The hand book of drug abuse information 2009 with information from 2004 to 2008 was brought out at a meeting held at the Information Department auditorium on Tuesday. Before 1980 there was no heroin problem in the country but during recent years 45,000 drug addicts were using hard drugs an estimated 763 kilograms annually. There were 19 Sri Lankans arrested for drug trafficking abroad including one woman, the report also states.