For a healthy life.. say “NO” to drugs !!

12/08/2016 – Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Youth Wing of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) took to the streets of Colombo today on International Youth Day to resonate a vital message for today’s youth.. “Don’t Do Drugs”.

The campaign organized in partnership with the National Dangerous Drug Control Board is launching an awareness campaign targeting the country’s youth with a message towards living a better life through denying drugs.

Drug abuse is one of the prominent problems that affects the Sri Lanka in many aspects including social, economic, educational and health. The most highlighting issue with regard to drug abuse is that prisons in Sri Lanka accommodate approximately 40 percent of drug related offenders compelling the Government to spend large sums of money on them. So it has become a glaring problem for the country as they have become a burden to the country’s economy and also to the society.

In the recent past there is also a surge in the usage of drugs by youth and school children. According to new statistics there are over 200,000 such drug uses in the country.

Accordingly the President of Sri Lanka His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena launched an islandwide campaign in order to raise awareness and eradicate the drug issue. Sri Lanka Red Cross in supporting this endeavor chose to launch a campaign targeting youths on International Youth Day.

Beginning today’s events the Youth of our branches gathered at the Public Library Auditorium where the Director General of SLRCS Neville Nanayakkara spoke about the importance of ensuring the youth of this country denying drugs that would eventually leads towards a healthy and a productive life.

The Deputy Director General of SLRCS Sudath Madugalle also spoke as why an organization like the Red Cross wanted to begin such a campaign.

“We understand how this menace is affecting the youth of today, and its vital that we give the necessary information to them so they understand that they don’t waste their life”

Meanwhile the an officer from the National Dangerous Drug Control Board Isurika Nadeesha Rathnayake spoke to the youth who were gathered as to how they can get addicted to drugs and how it could destroy their lives.

Afterwards the youth who gathered at the public library took to the streets of Colombo raising awareness on the importance of staying away from drugs. Bookmarks and other leaflets with more information on how drugs affects people and how the menace could destroy lives and more importantly how to stay away from it were provided to the public.

Nuwara – Eliya

Also a similar march took palace in Nuwara – Eliya aimed at raising awareness with the public.

Kegalle

Meanwhile in Kegalle our Branch organized a lecture for the youth in the area on the importance of staying away from drugs.

Ratnapura

Similar lecture took place in Ratnapura as well.

Trincomalee

A smilar seminar and march also took place in Trincomalee.

Matale

In Matale our branch conducted an awareness session on drug prevention for 100 students at the Vocational Training Authority in Naula . The session was conducted by Education & Information Officer of National Dangerous Drugs Control Board of Central Province.