President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that narcotics represent a "catastrophe" engulfing the country and pledged to take action to defeat it.

The President made this statement while inaugurating the government's new program, 'Nation United – National Drive’, a national operation aimed at eradicating the menace of illicit drugs.

He affirmed that the current government has taken a decisive decision against the drug epidemic. The President emphasized that the drug problem must be defeated for the peacefulness of society and for the safety and continued existence of every child, every woman, and every citizen in the general public.


The following expresses the President's views:

"We are gathered today with the aim of defeating the magical catastrophe that has engulfed our country. We know how deep and destructive this disaster is. Our future generations, our general society, and we as a nation are becoming victims of this magical storm of catastrophe. This challenge did not emerge today; it has grown systematically over decades to a terrifying state that threatens to consume the entire social fabric. At this juncture, we have two distinct paths we can choose. One is to allow the old situation to continue as it is, just watching passively while doing something minor. The second path is to actively fight against it.


I want to say that we, the government and I, have taken a decisive decision to fight against this. This disaster is consuming our children. To what extent? 64% of those incarcerated in our country were involved in drug-related offenses. Our children, and their entire future, are being ruined. The youth population, in the prime age of 18 to 26, is becoming the biggest victim. Their future, their hopes, their aspirations are being destroyed on the streets. Therefore, we do not have the right to stand by and watch.


Furthermore, every child has a mother and a father. At the moment a child is born, every mother and father shared a big smile and held immense hope and expectation. But they are watching their own child being ruined before their eyes. They are being subjected to immense pain, shame, and social isolation. Sometimes mothers are forced to say, 'It would have been better if I had not given birth to you.' Parents and mothers are becoming victims of this disaster to that extent. The entire unity and stability of the family are being destroyed. A husband becoming a victim is turning into a family’s biggest tragedy. A few months ago, when I was in Matara, I met a social counselor. A girl, aged fifteen or sixteen, came to her. Her father, a fisherman, is entirely addicted to these drugs. The mother cannot look after the children. The mother urges the girl to 'find a boy quickly.' That girl came to the counselor and said, 'Madam, I want to go to school. My mother says to run away with a boy.' What a tragedy. This is a tragedy that should not be allowed to continue. Therefore, the threat of the entire family structure collapsing exists because of this.


On the other hand, this magical storm is spreading to villages and towns. When we go to the villages, our relatives tell us they are afraid to hang clothes on the line outside. They are afraid to leave the paddy drying outside. They are afraid to leave their daughter alone at home. There is a risk that their daughter, their property, will become a victim of this catastrophe at any moment.

So, what is happening? Villages are gripped by fear. A criminal state is being created. This disaster is consuming the entire society. A large number of the road incidents in our country today are drug-related road crashes. Drug addicts account for the largest share of child and women abuse incidents in our country. They are consuming children and oppressing women. Perverted sexual desires are being released in public places, on buses, and on the road. A woman walking on the road has perverted sexual desires displayed toward her. This disaster is turning the whole society into its victim. Similarly, the country's economy faces a major breakdown. There is a highway from Katunayake to Colombo. But we have an expressway to keep in the dark. Why? Today, we have to deploy the STF, the Police Special Task Force, to provide security for that expressway. Why? The wires providing light cannot be laid; they are being cut and stolen. If you travel on that road, it is still dark today. The reason? A wire cannot be laid; it is cut and stolen. Elephant fences were installed for the elephants' safety, but the parts are being dismantled and stolen. The metal railings on bridges and culverts are being cut and stolen. This entire society is being turned into a victim of this tragedy, creating instability.

Therefore, I believe this must be defeated to re-establish stability in society and for the peacefulness of society, for the safety and continued existence of every child, every woman, and every citizen in the general public. We will definitely be victorious in the steps we are taking and will defeat this catastrophe."