Events

Interior Minister Igor Shunevich put forward a number of proposals to promptly respond to drug-related crimes and work out a number of measures to react to the new tendencies in this business.

In particular, provisions allowing to ban the sales of new narcotic drugs, mostly psychotropic substances, within a week will be included in the law on narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues. According to the minister, the new bill will help promptly add new substances to the existing lists of drugs. Igor Shunevich said that there are no such precedents in other countries. The notion ‘basic structure of a chemical substance’ will be included in the bill. The measure will help prohibit up to 96% of new substances, mostly spices, which are constantly emerging on the drugs market.

The draft bill envisages toughening of criminal penalties for the sales of psychotropic substances to underage people and for the production of narcotic and psychotropic substances at illegal drug labs. The document will also enhance responsibility for the use of drugs in public places.

According to the Interior Ministry, it makes sense to introduce a single centralized register of drug addicts at healthcare institutions. As a result, these people will not be removed from the register due to the change of accommodation or imprisonment.

The Interior Ministry believes that it is also essential to set up specialized preventative clinics for drug addicts.

The President suggested including all these proposals in a decree and submitting it to the head of state for consideration. “Perhaps, it will be better to incorporate these tough measures into a presidential decree. Of course, the parliament will later introduce relevant amendments to the law,” Alexander Lukashenko said. He also gave an instruction to submit all provisions of the document for public consultation.