Police warnings about the spread of drugs among schoolchildren should not be treated as routine law-enforcement updates. They are signals of social failures that demand attention beyond arrests and surveillance. Police Spokesperson and Assistant Superintendent of Police F.U. Wootler has said that organised groups are targeting children near schools by disguising drugs such as Mava and Babul as sweets, popsicles, cotton candy, biscuits, and toffees. This is not a distant threat; but something that happens by the school gate.
The Police say that they are keeping close watch on the situation and that 11 suspects have already been arrested. Wootler has also reminded the public that possession of more than 5 g of cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, or heroin carries the death penalty. Strong enforcement sends a message to organised dealers who deliberately prey on children. However, enforcement alone cannot shoulder the weight of the crisis.
There is a contradiction in how society responds to threats faced by children. Consider sexual education. Despite resistance, the argument has slowly gained ground that children need age-appropriate information to help them make better decisions. The purpose has never been to encourage such behaviour, but to build awareness and self-protection. Drugs demand the same honest approach.
Today’s drugs are not at all the substances of past decades. Many are synthetic or chemically altered, far more potent and far more damaging. Their long-term effects are often unknown, even to users. The danger will only grow. Pretending that children can be shielded from this reality through silence is unrealistic. Information, when and if delivered responsibly, equips children to recognise the risk and refuse it.
The goal cannot be to save everyone. That is an impossible task in any crisis. This priority must be to protect vulnerable groups, especially children. Schools already carry subjects that discuss health, biology, and life skills. There is no reason that the harmful effects of drugs cannot be included in those lessons in a structured and age-appropriate way. Education reforms are being discussed widely at present, and this issue really needs to be included in that conversation.
Understanding drug use also requires empathy. Addiction, in most cases, does not begin in isolation. Mental distress, family issues, peer pressure, and a search for belonging all may play a role. Treating every user as a criminal closes the door to recovery. Even enforcement can carry an element of care. Referral to rehabilitation rather than punishment, especially for first time or young offenders, should not be seen as something negative. It is a practical response to this complex problem.
There have been discussions about approaches that encourage Police officers to guide users towards rehabilitation rather than focusing solely on arrests. Such methods deserve serious consideration, particularly where children and adolescents are involved. Saving a young person from addiction has a far greater value than adding another name to a list of arrestees.
Teachers’ trade unions have also come up with their suggestions. The Ceylon Teachers’ Union recently stated that schools, in the past, had basic preventive mechanisms such as bag inspections and routine monitoring. These measures have largely disappeared. Their absence has left a gap that drug networks appear quick to exploit. Reintroducing safeguards, of course with respect for student dignity, should not be dismissed as outdated.
Families including parents have a role that cannot be outsourced to the Police or the schools. Vigilance should begin at home. Changes in behaviour, sudden secrecy, or unexplained money should prompt attention. Communities that communicate are harder for dealers to penetrate.
In Sri Lanka, it is not that we lack laws. What we lack is coordination between enforcement, education, the health services, and families. Surveillance and arrests are necessary, but they are only one part of a larger response. Protecting children from drugs requires honest dialogue, informed education, compassionate intervention, and firm action against those who profit from harm.
Ignoring any one of these elements will weaken the whole effort, and escalate the issue. The warning signs are already visible. Let us decide if we are to respond before the damage becomes irreversible.