A Criminological Study of the Impact of Heroin Use on Problems Associated with Urban Poverty in Sri Lanka

Drug abuse has caused a lot of personal and social problems globally. In almost every country in the world, offences related to drugs are considered illegal behaviours, and related punishments have been established. However, laws and regulations related to intoxicants vary from country to country. Misbehaviour related to the use of drugs in Sri Lanka has also been defined as illegal behaviour. This study is very important from a criminological and social science point of view on how heroin use affects urban poverty. Colombo City is unique among the urban areas of Sri Lanka, and it is evident that a large number of low-income urban communities around the city are living without very minimal facilities. One of the main factors affecting their poverty is the use of heroin by the people living in those families. Among those arrested for drug-related offences in the year 2021, most were arrested for heroin-related offences. In the five years since that year, the number of arrests for heroin offences has increased every year more than for other drugs. The methods of interview, questionnaire, and observation were used to collect the primary data for the research. Accordingly, fifty people prone to heroin use who live in shacks and apartment complexes in the district’s low-income community were used as the sample. Data analysis was conducted quantitatively and qualitatively. In terms of ethnicity, Sinhalese nationals are the most arrested for heroin-related offences. The percentage is 50% arrests among Sinhalese, 30% among Muslims, and 20% among Tamils. Age-wise, the age groups with the highest number of arrests are 16–20 and 31–35. The great majority work as labourers or in hired jobs, and the majority have low levels of education. Families face many problems as a result of heroin usage and related offences. Economic problems, family disputes, leaving families, the tendency to commit other crimes, health problems, legal problems, problems in the socialisation of children, and many other personal and social problems have arisen due to this. These problems are directly linked to urban sprawl.