Drug and alcohol use is contributing to the deaths of between 80 and 100 people in Sri Lanka every day, according to Dr. Manoj Fernando, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at Rajarata University.

He made the remarks at a media briefing held today (28) on drug prevention and awareness programs conducted under the “Rata Ma Ekata” (The Country United) national operation.Dr. Fernando said there was no other single individual factor in Sri Lanka that resulted in such a high number of deaths each day.He identified smoking as the leading cause of deaths among substance-related causes in the country, while noting that alcohol consumption alone was responsible for an estimated 10 to 15 deaths daily.

He also warned that the use of illicit drugs has increased significantly, stressing that the pathway to illicit drug use often begins with legally available substances.“There is sufficient evidence to show that many people who use heroin had been smokers before they began using heroin,” Dr. Fernando said.He added that many cannabis users had previously been using either alcohol or cigarettes, highlighting a connection between the use of different substances.“The main drug that opens the door to these substances in Sri Lanka is smoking. There is enough evidence to show that many people who use heroin had used cigarettes before heroin. Similarly, many people who use cannabis had previously used either alcohol or cigarettes,” he said.