COLOMBO — Figures disclosed during a review of Sri Lanka’s Ratama Ekata national anti-drug campaign have highlighted the involvement of school-age children in drug-related incidents, drawing attention to the need for stronger prevention, protection and rehabilitation measures alongside police enforcement.
The campaign’s progress was reviewed on November 5, with authorities outlining arrests, drug seizures and other action against trafficking networks. Yet among the enforcement statistics were figures that point to a particularly troubling problem: children are increasingly appearing in drug-related investigations, sometimes as suspected users and, in other instances, potentially as victims of exploitation by adult traffickers.
The figures raise a question extending beyond police operations. How effectively are families, schools and child protection services working together to prevent drugs from reaching children?
Arrest Figures Reveal the Risks Facing Children
Figures presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on November 5 illustrate the seriousness of the challenge.
According to the President, one person under the age of 18 was arrested in connection with crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, in 2022. By 2025, the figure had risen to 1,874.
The increase warrants close examination, including whether changes in enforcement activity, reporting practices or patterns of drug-related offending contributed to the rise.
The President also cited figures involving 1,068 children aged between 14 and 18 and 13 children aged between five and 14. More than 200 girls were reportedly among those arrested in drug-related incidents.
These figures should not automatically be treated as comparable totals, since they may relate to different reporting periods, age categories or types of offences.
Equally important is the distinction between arrest and criminal responsibility.
Being arrested does not establish that a person committed an offence. Nor should every child apprehended in a drug-related investigation be regarded as a trafficker or someone living with addiction.
Some minors may have been exploited by adults to transport, conceal or distribute drugs. Others may require medical treatment, psychological support or protection from criminal networks.
The figures should therefore prompt closer scrutiny of the circumstances in which children become involved, rather than encourage their indiscriminate stigmatisation.
According to information presented in Parliament on October 22, 2026, approximately 586,824 people had been arrested during drug-related operations over a two-year period.
Among them were 11,970 people under the age of 21. Nearly 90% of that younger group were reportedly aged between 18 and 21.
While these figures cover a broader age group than schoolchildren, they underline the importance of prevention during adolescence and the transition into adulthood.
Police Warn of Drugs Being Disguised as Everyday Products
Police Media Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police F. U. Wootler has warned about tactics allegedly used to distribute drugs among children and young people.
Authorities have expressed concern about substances such as ice, mawa and babool being packaged to resemble familiar products or concealed alongside food items.
Warnings have referred to products resembling toffees, biscuits, frozen treats, Bombay motai and saravita, among other items commonly encountered by children.
The concern is that dangerous substances may be presented in forms that appear harmless, making them more difficult for children to recognise and for adults to identify.
However, these warnings must be communicated responsibly.
The existence of such trafficking methods does not mean that ordinary sweets, food vendors or shops near schools should automatically be regarded as suspicious.
Unfounded accusations could damage legitimate businesses and create unnecessary fear among parents and children.
The appropriate response is to identify genuinely suspicious substances, preserve potential evidence and report concerns to the authorities for examination.
Public awareness is essential, but it must be guided by evidence rather than speculation.
The Substances Behind the Growing Concern
Heroin once dominated much of Sri Lanka’s public discussion about illegal drugs. Today, increasing attention is directed towards crystal methamphetamine, cannabis-related products, kush, mawa and other psychoactive substances.
Crystal methamphetamine is particularly concerning because of its powerful stimulant effects on the central nervous system.
Although its use may initially produce feelings of increased energy, alertness or euphoria, it can also cause serious sleep disturbances, agitation, anxiety and paranoia.
Prolonged or repeated use carries the risk of dependence and other physical and psychological complications.
The consequences can be especially serious during adolescence, when important areas of the brain involved in judgement, planning and impulse control are still developing.
Substance use during this period may interfere with education, relationships, emotional regulation and overall development.
Two other products mentioned in discussions about substance use among schoolchildren are babool and madana modaka.
Babool is a chewable preparation that may contain areca nut and tobacco-related ingredients. Products containing tobacco can expose users to nicotine and the risk of dependence.
Their composition may vary, making reliable identification of ingredients important.
Madana modaka requires particular care in public discussion because the term is also used within traditional Ayurvedic practice.
It would be inaccurate to assume that every product sold under that name has the same composition or presents the same risk.
Concerns arise when products are manufactured or distributed illegally, contain undisclosed psychoactive ingredients, or are consumed without reliable information about their contents.
A Sri Lankan study published in the journal Substance Abuse in 2013 examined substance use among 5,353 students in Grades 10 and 12 in the Colombo District.
The study identified reported use of substances including babool, madana modaka and cough syrup for psychoactive purposes.
Researchers also highlighted uncertainties surrounding the composition and regulation of some products.
Because the study was conducted in 2013 and focused on a particular student population, its findings cannot establish current nationwide prevalence.
Nevertheless, it demonstrates that concerns about substance misuse among schoolchildren are longstanding.
Why Children May Become Targets of Traffickers
Drug trafficking is driven by financial incentives, and criminal networks depend on maintaining access to buyers and distribution channels.
Adolescents can be particularly vulnerable to exploitation because of peer pressure, curiosity, financial difficulties, emotional distress or the desire for social acceptance.
Some young people may experiment with substances without fully understanding their effects.
Others may be approached by people offering drugs free of charge or at reduced prices, potentially creating opportunities for continued use and dependence.
Children may also be recruited to transport or distribute illegal substances, sometimes after being promised money or other rewards.
This distinction matters.
A minor found carrying drugs may be involved in an offence, but investigators must also determine whether an adult arranged, encouraged or exploited that involvement.
Such cases require careful assessment of criminal responsibility, coercion and child protection needs.
Reports concerning proceedings before the Maligakanda Court have brought these questions into sharper focus.
According to published accounts, a 12-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy were arrested in connection with crystal methamphetamine.
Reports also indicated that medical examinations had identified signs of drug dependence.
Those accounts should not be interpreted as establishing guilt or the full circumstances of either child’s involvement.
At 12 and 14, children remain dependent on adults and institutions for much of their safety and welfare.
Where a child has developed a substance-use problem, the response must extend beyond punishment to include an examination of family circumstances, peer relationships, school experiences and possible exploitation.
The Consequences of Substance Use During Adolescence
Substance use can affect several areas of a young person’s life. The nature and severity of those effects depend on the substance involved, the pattern of use and the individual’s circumstances.
Potential consequences include:
- Brain function: Difficulties with memory, attention, decision-making and learning.
- Mental health: Increased anxiety, paranoia and other psychological difficulties, including the possible worsening of existing conditions.
- Physical health: Sleep disruption, changes in appetite, cardiovascular effects and other health complications.
- Education: Poor attendance, reduced academic performance and an increased risk of leaving school prematurely.
- Social relationships: Conflict within families, damaged friendships and possible involvement in legal proceedings.
These risks do not mean that every child who experiments with a substance will develop an addiction.
However, early identification and appropriate intervention can reduce the likelihood of more serious harm.
Dependence should not be treated simply as a disciplinary problem or a failure of character.
A child experiencing addiction may require medical assessment, counselling, family support and, in some cases, structured rehabilitation.
What Parents and Schools Should Look For
Warnings about drugs reaching children should encourage vigilance, not constant suspicion.
Parents and guardians need to understand changes in their children’s behaviour without assuming that every unusual development indicates substance use.
Changes worth discussing may include:
- Sudden disruption of sleeping or eating habits.
- A sustained decline in school attendance or academic performance.
- Unexplained spending or repeated requests for money.
- Significant changes in friendships or daily routines.
- Unusual agitation, aggressive behaviour or prolonged sleeplessness.
- Withdrawal from family activities or previously enjoyed interests.
None of these signs, individually or together, proves that a child is using drugs.
Similar changes may result from bullying, depression, anxiety, family difficulties, physical illness or other circumstances.
A supportive conversation is therefore more useful than an immediate accusation.
Maintaining trust allows children to discuss problems without fearing automatic punishment or humiliation.
Schools also have an essential preventive role.
Principals, teachers, counsellors and school development societies should help students understand the risks of substance use and recognise attempts at coercion or manipulation.
Effective education must extend beyond warnings about punishment.
Children should learn how to respond to peer pressure, manage emotional difficulties, seek trusted adult assistance and identify situations in which their safety may be compromised.
Access to counselling is equally important.
Expelling or publicly humiliating a student because of a substance-use problem may worsen their isolation and reduce opportunities for treatment.
Protecting access to education, while ensuring appropriate medical and psychological support, should remain central to any intervention.
Can Ratama Ekata Succeed Through Arrests Alone?
The Ratama Ekata campaign has focused on identifying suspected traffickers, seizing narcotics and investigating the financial activities of drug-related criminal networks.
These enforcement measures are important.
Removing dangerous substances from circulation and disrupting trafficking organisations can reduce opportunities for illegal distribution.
Nevertheless, arrests and seizures alone cannot establish whether the underlying demand for drugs is declining or whether children are becoming safer.
A sustainable response requires three connected approaches.
1. Disrupt Drug Supply
Police and other law enforcement agencies must continue investigating traffickers, producers, distributors and the financial networks supporting illegal drug operations.
Particular attention should be paid to adults suspected of recruiting or exploiting children.
Investigations should distinguish between those directing criminal activity and vulnerable minors who may have been drawn into it.
2. Reduce Demand Through Prevention
Schools and communities must provide accurate, age-appropriate information about substance use.
Prevention should address the circumstances that make young people vulnerable, including social pressure, emotional distress and limited access to support.
Sports, arts, educational opportunities and constructive community activities can help strengthen young people’s connections to positive environments.
Such programmes should complement, rather than replace, evidence-based health education.
3. Make Treatment and Rehabilitation Accessible
People experiencing substance dependence need access to appropriate treatment and sustained support.
For children, that response must be developmentally appropriate and sensitive to family circumstances, mental health and educational needs.
Counselling, medical care and rehabilitation should aim to help young people recover and remain connected to their communities.
Without these measures, enforcement may disrupt individual trafficking operations while leaving the conditions that contribute to substance use largely unchanged.
Protecting Children Requires Community Participation
Parents and schools cannot carry this responsibility alone.
Police, health professionals, child protection authorities, religious leaders, community organisations, transport workers and local businesses all have potential roles in identifying risks and helping children obtain support.
Suspicious activity near schools, tuition centres or other places where children gather should be reported through appropriate channels.
Members of the public should avoid confronting suspected traffickers or circulating unverified allegations.
Where a suspicious substance is discovered, it should not be tasted, shared or handled unnecessarily. A responsible adult should contact the police or another relevant authority.
Families seeking information about drug treatment and counselling can contact the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board through its 1927 helpline.
Concerns involving the safety or exploitation of a child can also be reported to the National Child Protection Authority through its 1929 child helpline.
For children already affected by substance use, the immediate priorities should be safety, medical assessment and access to appropriate support.
Public identification or humiliation can create further harm and should be avoided.
The Real Measure of Success
The government’s campaign against drug trafficking must be judged by more than the number of raids conducted, suspects arrested or narcotics seized.
Those figures measure enforcement activity. They do not, on their own, establish whether fewer children are encountering drugs, whether trafficking networks are losing influence or whether vulnerable young people are receiving effective protection.
Political disagreement should not prevent constructive scrutiny of these questions.
Supporters and critics of the government alike have a responsibility to recognise the seriousness of child exploitation and substance dependence.
Public debate becomes less useful when legitimate concerns are dismissed because of political loyalties or when enforcement statistics are treated as sufficient evidence of success.
For the Ratama Ekata operation to achieve lasting results, authorities will need to demonstrate progress in prevention, child protection, treatment and rehabilitation alongside criminal enforcement.
The most meaningful measure will ultimately be whether fewer children are drawn into drug-related harm and whether those already affected receive the help they need to rebuild their lives.
