In Sri Lanka, the increasing use of drugs, particularly among school children and youth, is a growing concern. Substance abuse not only affects the individual user’s physical, mental and emotional health, it also breaks families, weakens communities and retards progress.
This is the context in which John Keells Foundation (JKF) – the CSR entity of the John Keells Group – has since 2016 espoused the cause of Substance Abuse Prevention under its focus area of Social Health & Cohesion and within its overall vision of `Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’. On the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking commemorated on 26th June JKF reaffirms its commitment to building a safer, healthier, more resilient Sri Lanka through sustained awareness and prevention programmes.
From 22nd to 24th June, awareness and training sessions were conducted for 644 staff across all levels at Cinnamon Grand, initiated by JKF and facilitated by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB). This forms part of a wider rollout across Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, with the first programmes held at Cinnamon Myst and Cinnamon Citadel in Kandy on 25th and 26th May impacting 218 staff of all levels. Further sessions are planned across other hotels and resorts in the coming months.
S.A Premachandra, Director – Learning and Development of the Cinnamon Colombo Hotels said, “The sessions were highly successful and appreciated by colleagues across all levels at Cinnamon Grand. Upon our request, a special programme was also conducted for security staff on identifying drugs. With 80% of our cadre and 34 outsourced employees participating, the response was overwhelming. We look forward to conducting more sessions to reach the rest of our team.”
In 2025, John Keells Group’s supermarket chain, Keells also partnered with NDDCB to extend this initiative to its outlet staff. Awareness programmes were rolled out across 145 outlets, ensuring frontline employees are empowered to identify risks and promote healthier choices.
Beyond the Group’s businesses, JKF has long recognised the importance of equipping communities with knowledge and skills to resist substance abuse. In partnership with NDDCB and Humedica Lanka, JKF has since 2016 conducted impactful sessions for teachers, students, parents, pre‑school teachers, local government officials and community police officers, underlining the need for early intervention, supportive ecosystems and collective community engagement.
JKF has also extended its 3-day Training of Trainers programme for police officers under the flagship initiative Project WAVE (Working Against Violence through Education) – focused on combating gender‑based violence and child abuse – to include modules on substance abuse prevention and the critical role of law enforcement in safeguarding communities.
To date, collective efforts of the John Keells Group has empowered over 36,000 students, parents, teachers, and other individuals with practical awareness of the risks of substance abuse, underscoring the Group’s commitment to fostering the holistic health of our people and society.
Education, Community & Livelihoods, Social Health & Cohesion, and Biodiversity are the four focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH),
largest company listed on the CSE in terms of market capitalization operating over 80 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, the John Keells Group provides employment to over 18,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 20 Years by LMD magazine. JKH has placed first for the fourth consecutive year in the ‘Transparency in Corporate Reporting Assessment’ by Transparency International Sri Lanka. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of `Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’ through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.
