“කුඩ්ඩෙක්” - මෙවැනි යෙදුම් අනුමත කළ හැකි ද?

Abstract

On June 26 and 27, 2024, the Mawbima newspaper published two reports that used the derogatory term “Kuddek” (කුඩ්ඩෙක්) in their headlines and used “Mathlolin” (මත්ලෝලීන්) in the content to refer to drug users and drug traffickers which is unethical. However, the appropriate terms “Pudgalayaku” (පුද්ගලයකු) and “Sakakaru” (සැකකරු) were used in the content of the same news. Using such language in a negative context increases the stigma faced by people who use drugs. It also makes it difficult for them to reintegrate into society after rehabilitation and becomes an obstacle to addressing drug-related social problems.