AIDS THREAT INCREASING WITH DRUG INJECTIONS

Around 3500 Sri Lankans are living with HIV and the number is
increasing rapidly as a newest trend of injecting drugs is becoming
popular among many parties. Health Ministry STD/AIDS Control
Programme National Director Dr. Nimal Edirisinghe told The Sunday
Times that although there was a popular belief that injecting drugs
was uncommon in Sri Lanka, at present it has been a major contributor
to enhance the number of AIDS patients.

"There is a popular fashion among youth going to nightclubs and
parties to inject drugs, which creates a high risk. As there is a
shortage of heroin drug addicts seem to opt for injecting drugs. We
also got to know that some prisoners too are getting injected with
drugs and in most of these cases the same needle is being used a few
times," he said.

According to Dr. Edirisinghe 8-10 new cases of HIV/AIDS have been
reported recently."Up to now 931 persons have been diagnosed with
HIV/AIDS. Although at present 99 percent of these cases are due to
having unprotected sex, with injecting drugs becoming popular that
too will play a major role in the near future. People should be
educated in this regard," he said.