• Growing use of heroin, methamphetamine amongst sex workers  

With Sri Lanka witnessing a gradual but concerning rise in substance abuse among women, the situation is fast transforming into a growing public health concern that demands urgent attention from authorities.

According to the ‘Handbook of Drug Abuse Information in Sri Lanka 2025’ released by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), the data indicate a clear upward trend in drug-related arrests over the past five years, rising steadily from 97,416 in 2020 to 228,450 in 2024. Each year reflects a notable increase compared to the previous year. 

The data make it evident that a majority of females arrested in 2024 were involved in cannabis-related offences, showcasing a pattern where cannabis appears to be the primary substance associated with female arrests, while arrests for other drug-related offences among women remain relatively low. 

Accordingly, females accounted for 885 cases (1.9%) of prison admissions in 2024. Moreover, when considering the distribution of drug-related arrests by gender, 621 women were arrested for cannabis-related offences in 2024 compared to 326 in 2020, while 530 were arrested in 2024 for heroin-related offences compared to 260 in 2020. Further, 428 were arrested in 2024 for methamphetamine-related offences in comparison to 14 in 2020.

Youth culture and growing accessibility

Against such a backdrop, the proliferation and accessibility of substances among young people appear to be increasing, with sources saying that drugs have become a common feature of certain youth spaces, compounding the problem. 

“At night concerts and rave parties, many people use narcotic pills, along with kush,” said one young attendee familiar with the scene. “You can either buy them inside the party, while some people get them from outside as well. There are people who sell at these parties. Girls between 18 and 21 are the most exposed, although people of all ages attend these events – both men and women. Even older women consume drugs at these events.” 

They described a culture where substance use was normalised among the youth. “If someone notices that you’re not on anything, there’s often peer pressure to consume these substances.

“The culture is that you dress up nicely, take a pill or some other substance, and dance and party the whole night. Some people will already have consumed drugs before coming to the party.” 

According to them, such events have existed for years, although they had previously been more underground. “These concerts and night parties have been around for a long time, but back then, they mostly took place within a private community and were publicised through WhatsApp groups. But now, with TikTok influencers and social media, these parties have become wildly popular and many more people attend them.”

A growing concern

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, NDDCB Assistant Director – Preventive Education and Training Pradeep Koholanegedara shared that data showed that substance abuse cases among women had increased, necessitating urgent intervention.  

According to him, women involved in substance abuse fall into several categories, with users across all levels increasing. 

“The first category includes economically disadvantaged women, particularly commercial street sex workers who use substances to cope with the physical and emotional pressures associated with their work. The second category includes women from middle-class, upper-middle-class, or even higher-income families who experiment with drugs due to misinformation. 

“The third group consists of school-aged girls, who may experiment with recreational drugs due to media exposure and the influence of and desire to imitate peers. As a result, some eventually become involved with illegal substances like cannabis or even pharmaceutical drugs like pills and tablets.” 

Koholanegedara also noted the growing popularity of party drugs, often promoted through social media platforms; for instance, gatherings such as club/beach parties and those organised through platforms like Facebook use coded language to discreetly attract those interested in recreational drug use.  

He noted that many female users began with tobacco and tobacco-related products, followed by consumption of alcoholic beverages. Some then progress to cannabis along with pharmaceutical drugs. He further said that heroin and methamphetamine usage remained popular among commercial street sex workers.

Data gaps

Despite growing concerns, Koholanegedara stressed that there was a significant lacuna in qualitative and quantitative details that made it difficult to fully understand the scope of the problem, attributing this to a lack of researchers and deficiencies in information-recording systems. 

“There is a significant lack of research in this area, particularly archival data or qualitative evidence in the form of key informant interviews or focus group discussions. Research is needed to further explore and analyse the situation in Sri Lanka. While we know that the numbers are increasing, exact figures are yet to be confirmed,” he said.

Koholanegedara stressed that, firstly, researchers lacked knowledge and competence regarding undertaking studies on substance abuse and its consequences. Secondly, Sri Lanka lacks research professionals with proper expertise for this purpose, with the research unit under the NDDCB also having insufficient human resource capacity. Thirdly, due to cultural sensitivities, there is a fear of revealing such data. 

He emphasised the need for a strong effort in identifying the actual figures, since while the problem was growing, a solution was yet to be implemented, potentially exacerbating the issue. 

The NDDCB handbook also identifies a noted limitation in the reporting of drug arrests by gender, making it challenging to gain a comprehensive understanding of gender-specific trends. It adds that the limited gender-specific data underscores the need for more detailed reporting to better understand the dynamics of drug-related arrests across genders. 

Interventions

Koholanegedara pointed out that women were sometimes used in drug-trafficking operations, especially since they were less likely to arouse suspicion compared to men. Accordingly, women are deployed to traffic cannabis and other substances, since it is convenient to deploy them in schools, larger workplaces, and certain remote areas. 

He observed that women in urban and semi-urban areas were particularly vulnerable, primarily due to poverty, marginalisation, stigmatisation, and lack of education, which paved the way for substance use. Such living conditions also push women into small-scale trafficking as a means of survival. 

Accordingly, he highlighted that the NDDCB was engaged in aligning its strategies with international standards developed by institutions such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as well as the World Health Organization, which introduce minimum prevention standards as well as treatment standards. 

Recognising that marginalised communities, especially women, require significant attention, Koholanegedara said that the NDDCB was attempting to develop treatment facilities specifically for women. 

“While treatment facilities are available at our treatment centres, we are in the process of developing a separate treatment centre for women because young girls as well as young adult women require treatment, while adult women require long-term residential facilities due to the severity of their conditions,” he said.

Currently, counselling and drop-in centre services operate in the country, services in which the NDDCB is highly involved. The board also monitors other institutions offering rehabilitation services, along with treatment centres operated by the NGO sector. 

Koholanegedara added that the NDDCB continued to monitor and evaluate all programmes providing services to women affected by substance abuse.