Colombo: Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said that the drive against drug trafficking would be intensified with more raids in Colombo and the coastal areas from the 3rd April. Speaking at a function in a school, the President said plans have been drawn for police and the tri forces to jointly conduct the raids to crush the menace.
The President said there are school children who are addicted to drugs in prestigious schools. "Complaints are often received on this. There were instances that I have told relevant officials to raid classrooms of some schools," the President said without naming the schools. He said in some schools, the principal and the teachers cannot manage the classrooms because some students are drug addicts. "Therefore, we must understand clearly the challenges of life as well as imparting knowledge and education. He said the parents are not paying enough attention to the children and it is a major issue. "The child spends only five hours in the school. The rest of the time the child is with the parents. During that time, parents should be more attentive to the child's activities," he added.
"I strongly emphasize the need for a more efficient and formal program in schools. On the 3rd April, all the public servants, tri forces, school children and private sector employees will take an oath called "Bak Maha Pledge" to refrain from drug use. Similarly, steps are being taken to increase the number of drug raids after April 3. The raids conducted by the police along with the three armed forces will be intensified from April 3, the President said. He said plans have been drawn up to conduct more joint raids in areas where the drug use is high such as the Colombo City, coastal areas of Western, Southern and Eastern provinces and coastal areas of Puttalam. "I remind parents that they should not underestimate the threat of drugs," the President stressed.
