Abstract:
An exploratory descriptive study on Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) in Sri Lanka was
undertaken in the light of the increase in the number of IDUs between 1998 and 2002.
The aim of the study was to understand the nature and the extent of injecting drug use in
the country in 2003-2004. A non-probable ‘snow-ball’ sample of IDUs was studied from
the correctional institutions and the community. The case histories and interviews were
conducted taking into consideration the physical signs of drug injecting, body language
and verbal expressions.
The IDUs were males aged mostly between 20 and 40 years, mostly from Colombo and
adjacent urban areas. Majority them were form a lower social strata, employed as smallscale
entrepreneurs or manual workers. The IDUs could be broadly categorised into 3
groups by their drug injecting: regular injectors, intermittent injectors and those injected
once or few occasions. Many regular IDUs had a criminal record.
Periods of social and political instability or high profile drug law enforcement appear to
have enhanced the spread of injecting drug use. During the crisis period, the street level
supply of heroin had been severely hampered, which had forced the heroin chasers
(Chinese method users) to switch to injecting as a means of survival. Sharing of
injecting equipment was minimal among IDUs. Many of the IDUs had engaged in unprotected
sex with multiple partners including commercial sex-workers in countries of
high seroprevalence of HIV/AIDS and STDs. Many IDUs believed that injecting heroin
could enhance their sexual libido, which had been proven otherwise within 3 months of
regular injecting. However, this had been a major reason for initiating injecting drug use.
Sri Lanka at present is a low prevalence country for injecting drug use and HIV/AIDS. A
scenario of decrease in accessibility to heroin due to high price, and law level of purity
possibility of increase in the prevalence of injecting drug use could increase in
seroprevalence of HIV/AIDS and other blood and STD. Hence, the injecting drug use
has to be closely monitored to prevent this situation in Sri Lanka.
