Integrated law to combat narcotics and psychotropic substances vital
Human Rights Center holds 3-panel discussion
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 21: The Human Rights Center of the Kuwait Lawyers Society organized a three-panel discussion on ‘Human Rights of Addicts and Obstacles of Recovery’ to highlight the seriousness of this scourge, reports Al-Anba daily.
Counselor of the Court of Cassation, Sultan Mutairi Al-Suwait, suggested the need for an integrated law to combat narcotics and psychotropic substances in Kuwait.
He pointed the dangers of drugs in society have reached an unprecedented level so much so that 25 out of 30 cases are related to drugs, which makes it 84 percent of the total cased.
Chairman of the Bashayer Al-Khair Society Abdul Hamid Al-Bilali said the society receives about 600 cases on an annual basis and proposed a legislation to protect women from the dangers of drug addicts.
He also wants to introduce a legislation to make drug tests mandatory for those willing to marry and oblige the ministers of Interior and Health to punish anyone introducing new narcotic substances into Kuwait within a month.
He also wants random tests on school students and clear criminal records of those who have served jail terms to prove they have been fully rehabilitated from the scourge of addiction, in addition to employing and monitoring their movements.
MP Khalil Al-Saleh said between 60 and 70 percent of the total number of prisoners are drug addicts while there is only one health center for treatment.
He went on to say a majority of the families who face the problem of drug addicts within the family are forced to treat them outside Kuwait and for this reason he called for the need to build new therapeutic clinics and hiring of specialized doctors from abroad.
The Director-General of the General Department for Drugs Control Brigadier Bader Al-Ghadouri said the Department was able to prevent the smuggling of 70 percent of the drugs into the country after identifying the places of smuggling.