News:1978-01-01/Report/hippie-tourism-introduces-cannabis-as-a-euphoriant-to-sri-lankan-youth

1 January 1978

Report

Sri Lanka·

Hippie tourism introduces cannabis as a euphoriant to Sri Lankan youth

According to the UNODC, the development of the tourist industry and the arrival of "hippies" introduced cannabis as a recreational euphoriant to Sri Lankan youth in the late 1970s, marking a shift from centuries of traditional Ayurvedic and customary use toward Western-style recreational consumption. The same pattern affected Nepal (mid-1960s) and the Maldives (mid-1970s), where hashish smoking was introduced to a society previously free of cannabis. Simultaneously, the first systematic field investigation of drug abuse in Sri Lanka — coordinated by the Narcotics Advisory Board — revealed opium, cannabis, and barbiturates as the most commonly used substances for nonmedical purposes. The survey found 48% of cannabis users were between ages 15 and 25. During 1975–1979, an average of 4,000 persons per year were arrested for drug-related offenses, with an additional 3,000 seeking help for drug problems.

Source: https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/south_Asia_Regional_Profile_Sept_2005/south_asia_regional_profile_sept_2005.pdf

1978-01-01 Report Hippie tourism introduces cannabis as a euphoriant to Sri Lankan youth According to the UNODC, the development of the tourist industry and the arrival of "hippies" introduced cannabis as a recreational euphoriant to Sri Lankan youth in the late 1970s, marking a shift from centuries of traditional Ayurvedic and customary use toward Western-style recreational consumption. The same pattern affected Nepal (mid-1960s) and the Maldives (mid-1970s), where hashish smoking was introduced to a society previously free of cannabis. Simultaneously, the first systematic field investigation of drug abuse in Sri Lanka — coordinated by the Narcotics Advisory Board — revealed opium, cannabis, and barbiturates as the most commonly used substances for nonmedical purposes. The survey found 48% of cannabis users were between ages 15 and 25. During 1975–1979, an average of 4,000 persons per year were arrested for drug-related offenses, with an additional 3,000 seeking help for drug problems. https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/south Asia Regional Profile Sept 2005/south asia regional profile sept 2005.pdf Sri Lanka