A significant number of university students are becoming addicted to drugs, with an estimated 70% to 80% of male students who drop out of university courses reportedly showing signs of drug dependence, Prof. Amila Isuru said.
Speaking at a media briefing on the “Ratama Ekatta” national programme addressing drug addiction among university students and young people, Isuru said drug traffickers were making increased efforts to expose schoolchildren and university students to drugs.
He said people who continue to use drugs often do so not simply for the pleasure they experience, but to manage withdrawal symptoms that emerge when they attempt to stop using them.
“People continue to use drugs to control the withdrawal symptoms that occur when they stop using them,” Isuru said.
He said research conducted in schools and observations within the university system indicated an increasing trend of young people being introduced to and becoming accustomed to drug use.
Isuru said the problem was particularly evident among male students who leave university without completing their courses, claiming that about 70% to 80% of such students were affected by addiction to some form of drug.
He called for greater attention to the efforts of drug traffickers to target young people and for stronger measures to prevent students from becoming dependent on drugs. (Newswire)
