At the conference dedicated to counteracting the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and associated chemicals, the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko insisted that a clear chain of responsibility for the problem needs to be established. The chief department should take overall responsibility with support from other agencies. “There should be total zero tolerance of drugs, which will act as a barrier to drug distribution. We need to foster an attitude to life based on Christian values which are traditional for our country. This is not only a task for the state and media, but also for public organisations, the church, educational institutions and, most importantly, families and citizens,” commented Mr. Lukashenko. In combination with stringent punishments for offenders, this approach would solve the problem.
The conference also discussed an improvement to the law, which would enable the authorities to fight the drug threat more promptly and efficiently. A draft of the law was submitted to the head of state and Mr. Lukashenko demanded answers to several questions from the representatives at the meeting.
The President questioned the comprehensiveness of measures aimed at restricting illegal drug trafficking (including those proposed by the new legislative act). He wanted reassurance that the proposed measures will leave no loopholes that might allow the drug dealers and drug manufacturers to exploit it. He wondered how adequately the legislation would be able to place barriers on criminal activity.
The President reminded the meeting that a decree has already been released in January, providing comprehensive measures to restrict trafficking of the opium poppy, thus allowing us to reduce its consumption. Mr Lukashenko said, “We’ve managed to reduce opium use and immediately the problem with ‘spice’ has appeared. What’s next? Will the current draft bill solve this problem and how clearly are we able to forecast and prevent possible new drug threats in the future? Do we have enough legal powers and funding? Are we able to fight against large scale drug distribution, especially when it uses the Internet?”
The Head of State was interested in what changes in legislation are planned regarding those who consume drugs and how they can be rehabilitated. “If the adoption of the new law is able to shake up all parts of the system, making it work efficiently, it should be approved,” he noted.
By Vladimir Khromov
