NDDCB reports uptick in Ice users in Sri Lanka; Over 60,000 addicts arrested in first 10 months of 2025

The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) has announced a rise in the number of people using crystal methamphetamine, known as ‘Ice,’ in Sri Lanka. Thamara Darshana, the Assistant Director of Research at the NDDCB, revealed that over 60,000 people addicted to ‘Ice’ were arrested in the first ten months of this year. During a media briefing at the Department of Government Information, Darshana highlighted that drug use is particularly high in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, and Kandy districts. He noted that arrest numbers over recent years show a steady increase in the use of crystal methamphetamine, while a different trend has been spotted regarding cannabis use. However, the rise in ‘Ice’ use is more pronounced when compared to heroin and cannabis, he added. Darshana also mentioned that about 99 percent of drug users are polydrug users, meaning they use more than one type of drug. Additionally, Shantha Gamage, the Director of the Treatment and Rehabilitation Division of the NDDCB, pointed out that young adults aged 20 to 30 are at a higher risk of using drugs.