Introduction: Substance use becomes censorious when it leads to harmful effects on individuals, their families, and the community. The nature of substance use in Sri Lankan context is poorly understood and empirical evidences are sparse. The study aimed to describe patterns of substance use and characteristics of the individuals enrolled in residential treatment at selected rehabilitation centers in Sri Lanka. Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 205 individuals enrolled in selected rehabilitation centers. Pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Most of the individuals who enrolled in residential treatment at selected rehabilitation centers were unmarried (n = 124, 60.5%), Sinhala (n = 186, 90.7%), Buddhist (n = 166, 81.0%), males (n = 202, 98.5%) and belonged to the young adult age (18-35 years) category (n = 178, 86.8%). All the participants were poly-drug users and cannabis was the most commonly used (n = 183, 89.3%) illicit drug followed by heroin (n = 172, 83.9%), methamphetamine (n = 150, 73.2%) and cocaine (n = 78, 38%). The most (n = 152, 74.1%) problematic substance for life was heroin. Most of the participants (n = 149, 72.7%) had used drugs several times per day. The mean duration of substance use was 7 ± 5 years. Participants (n = 177, 86.3%) reported that the substances were available in their residential areas and their friends (n = 197, 96.1%) were also using the substances. Conclusions: Pattern of substance use and characteristics of the individuals were unique in Sri Lanka and need to be considered when implementing and strengthening the programs for drug prevention and rehabilitation.

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According to UNODC and WHO global estimates, only one in six individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) has access to residential rehabilitation programmes. This proportion further declined as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, which caused devastating problems to the individuals with SUD. The provision of residential treatment for individuals with SUD was interrupted due to COVID-19, in the aspects of the rehabilitation program, recruitment and service provision for rehabilitees or clients, staff and the infrastructural facilities. Further, individuals with SUD are known to have a greater risk of being infected with COVID-19 virus and developing post COVID complications due to their unstable psychological state, weakened immunity, malnutrition and other health related complications which have arisen with the prolonged use of substances. There is a timely need to provide a substantial emphasis on individuals with SUD during COVID-19 pandemic and to undertake the necessary steps to deliver the needed treatment. Critical appraisal of the available empirical evidence is instrumental prior to the laying-out and providing residential rehabilitation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the current review intended to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residential rehabilitation for individuals with SUD by scrutinizing the latest empirical evidence in order to battle against the future pandemic situations.

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