HARCP Archives

Browse by article

Browse by volume

Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2026, 28: 139-146

Heroin in Sri Lanka: Fifteen Years of Evolving Trends, Institutional Burden, and the Rise of Synthetic Drugs

Isuri De Silva, Nuwan Darshana, Nisangi Randima, Janithra De Silva, Badra Mallawaarachchi, Champa Wijesinghe, and Vijitha De Silva

Digital Object Identifier:
https://doi.org/10.62401/2531-4122-2026-17

Summary: Background: Heroin use in Sri Lanka has evolved as a major public health and social challenge, contributing to high rates of criminal justice involvement, rehabilitation demand, and psychosocial harms. Limited longitudinal analyses have assessed national trends using multi-dimensional indicators. Methods: A retrospective cross sectional study analyzed secondary data from the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) spanning 2010–2024. Key indicators included heroin-related arrests, prison admissions, quantities seized, and rehabilitation treatment admissions. Data were disaggregated by substance type, including heroin, cannabis, methamphetamine, and other drugs (opium, hashish, cocaine, psychotropics). Temporal trends were summarized using descriptive statistics and visualized with line graphs. Inter-substance differences were evaluated using Kruskal-Wallis tests with post hoc pairwise comparisons. Results: Arrests for heroin, cannabis, and methamphetamine increased substantially over the study period, with heroin showing persistently high prison (mean 9,394 ± 3,934) and rehabilitation admissions (1,694 ± 741). Cannabis dominated seizure quantities, while methamphetamine demonstrated sharp rises in arrests and institutional admissions after 2017. Significant differences were observed across substances for all outcomes (p < 0.05). The findings highlight a transition from traditional drugs to increasing synthetic drug involvement, with heroin imposing the greatest institutional burden. Conclusions: Heroin remains a central driver of drug-related institutional and social burden in Sri Lanka. Emerging methamphetamine trends underscore the need for integrated surveillance, preventive interventions, and expansion of evidence-based treatment and harm reduction services. Multi-sectoral strategies addressing medical, psychosocial, and social needs are essential to mitigate long-term impacts.

Keywords: Heroin; Sri Lanka; Drug trends; Rehabilitation