In brief
Colombo officials announced that Sri Lanka’s drug relapse rate fell to 19.21 percent in the first ten months of 2026, down from 24.5 percent in 2025, according to the Bureau of Rehabilitation. The data also show a rise in people staying drug‑free, and the bureau is expanding awareness campaigns, especially in the tourist industry. The bureau urges those struggling with addiction to seek voluntary rehabilitation rather than await legal action.
In Colombo, the Bureau of Rehabilitation released data showing Sri Lanka’s drug relapse rate among people who completed rehabilitation fell to 19.21 percent in the first ten months of 2026, compared with 24.5 percent the previous year, according to Xinhua.
The bureau highlighted that the proportion of people remaining drug‑free after rehab increased from 31.4 percent in 2025 to 45.18 percent between January 1 and October 30 2026, an improvement of 13.78 percentage points, the bureau said.
At a media briefing on Thursday, Bureau Director General M.S. Hameed noted that the bureau was broadening its anti‑drug awareness programs, especially for employees in the tourism industry. Fourteen percent of those who sought treatment at its centers were employed in hotels or the broader tourism sector.
Responding to requests from the hotel industry, the bureau has conducted campaigns in districts such as Gampaha and in parts of the Southern Province. A further awareness event targeting staff of major tourist hotels in Sigiriya and Dambulla is scheduled for November 9, with Dambulla serving as the central location, Hameed said.
Hameed also encouraged anyone struggling with drug addiction, along with their families, to seek rehabilitation voluntarily instead of waiting for legal intervention, he urged the audience.
