President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday (01) stated that he was expecting to discuss the possibility of giving death sentence to those who are guilty of drug smuggling.

Participating in an event organized to mark World No Tobacco Day, the president said that his intention was to establish a serious discussion in the country on this matter.

“Some people are so poor that they cannot afford three meals a day. But those people always have money for cigarettes, alcohol and other kind of drugs. This is a social disaster which should be stopped at any cost,” Sirisena stressed.

There will be various protests against this proposed death sentence, the president acknowledged. However, he said that he will not hesitate to take a firm decision after discussions with the general public.