To support government efforts, Parliament confirms the imminent enactment of a law to curb drugs

Baghdad-INA
 
Parliamentary committees called, on Tuesday, for examining students, cafe goers, and those about to get married to reduce drug use, while confirming the imminent enactment of a law that includes A Mandatory Testing Order (MTO)for citizens.

To clarify the role of parliamentary committees in reducing the spread of drug abuse and trafficking, Yasser Al-Hussaini, a member of the Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Committee, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "For the first time in Iraq, there is a committee specialized in drugs that does not even exist in neighboring Arab countries, in order to enhance the executive role in combating drugs," indicating that "the committee has begun to enact laws that contribute to reducing this dangerous scourge on society."
 
He added that "the amount of drugs that were confiscated during this year is large compared to previous years, reaching 3 and a half tons this year," explaining that "there are qualitative operations carried out by the Ministry of Interior and the arrest and confiscation of laboratories that manufacture narcotic substances in Iraq."
 
Al-Hussaini pointed out that "the committee indicated the existence of major violations in the entry of drugs through border crossings through international and local dealers, which increased its expansion," indicating that "the committee demanded targeting users, not just dealers, and going to the user until reaching the dealer, through examining users who register in universities, frequenters of cafes and gyms, and those about to get married, and this will greatly reduce drug use."
Blocking the road
Due to the importance of securing the borders and blocking the road in front of dealers, member of the Integrity Committee, MP Abdul Amir Al-Mayahy, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The Integrity Committee hosted the head of the Ports Authority in this regard to find out how to control the unofficial border crossings next to the Kurdistan Region, which are not controlled by the federal government, in addition to the lack of control over many crossings with neighboring countries, and therefore large quantities of drugs enter through those crossings."
 
He pointed out that "the supreme religious authority has a close follow-up of Iraqi society and drugs have breached the fabric of Iraqi society due to the entry of drugs and their marketing inside Iraq, so the religious authority had an important position," stressing that "the House of Representatives supports the government with legislation and we support it to control the ports and border crossings and the promotion of drugs that have reached individuals in society, universities and even high schools, and this is due to targeting Iraqi society."
Legislation of laws
Due to the importance of legislative laws that support government work in combating drugs, member of the parliamentary legal committee, Raed Al-Maliki, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that "drugs are a file that does not only need legal legislation to be appropriate with combating drugs, but rather requires a collective effort at all levels," noting that "the initiative of the supreme religious authority came at the right time and is very important to mobilize all parties and contract efforts in combating drugs and emphasized the security and judicial agencies in addition to the responsibility of Parliament."
 
He explained that "the House of Representatives has an amendment to the law that came from the presidency of the republic and was read first and second, in addition to a draft law that the Council of Ministers voted on and will be sent to parliament," adding that "the House of Representatives does not want to delay the amendment of the law and re-read the first and second reading of the government's draft, but will take the comments included in the draft law sent by the government and include them in the drug law."
 
Al-Maliki continued that "the law is called the drug law to be more comprehensive and part of the anti-drug law, but there are parts related to the use of some narcotic substances used in medical uses," explaining that "the House of Representatives will include in the law important provisions related to the compulsory examination of citizens."
 
Security Effort
For his part, MP Hadi Al-Salami said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "The Council of Representatives is in the process of legislating a law to establish a special body to combat drugs, to be larger than a directorate and capable of confronting this dangerous scourge facing Iraqi society," noting that "the Council is working with the government on this proposal to complete it and name its members."
 
He concluded: "There are great efforts by the government, especially the Anti-Narcotics Agency, National Security, Intelligence and Intelligence, to combat drugs, and the Council of Representatives is in the process of legislating the law to support the government in its work."