Weight of drugs is important
Selling or keeping even a small amount of drugs may lead to a term of imprisonment from 8 to 13 years. This amendment has been recently suggested by deputies of the House of Representatives. It is said it was done because of an increase in distribution of narcotics and psychoactive drugs in Belarus.
Only those who had a great amount of drugs on them used to be imprisoned. 1 gram of heroine or 500 grams of marijuana were considered to be a large amount and led to an immediate imprisonment. A smaller amount of drugs was not considered to be a reason for imprisonment unless a person was caught selling it.
Now drug dealers and drug addicts have an equal chance to find themselves behind bars. The head of the department on prevention of distribution of drugs Aleh Pyakarski explains.
Aleh Pyakarskі: “I can tell you that both things are considered to be a crime. You are violating the Criminal Code regulations if you have drugs on you.
The punishment is more severe if we find out that a person was going to sell drugs. If the detained was going to take them then they will be punished for keeping drugs”.
Doctors do not agree to the new rule. A physician from a medical centre “Paracels” Hanna Krauchanka thinks there will not be any use in trying to imprison everyone.
Hanna Krauchanka: “They should increase the minimal dose of drugs people are allowed to have on them. A drug addict is an invalid who will always have that gram at hand.
Other measures should be taken. A more severe system of drug dealing control must be imposed. They should find out how drugs are brought to our country and struggle with it instead of imprisoning people.
You can imprison as many people as you like but it won’t help reduce the number of addicts. Moreover, it is not always easy to tell who is an addict and who is a drug dealer. It seems that now there is no difference because everyone will be imprisoned, right?”
According to Aleh Pyakarski, it is true. If you detain everyone starting from drug addicts and small traders you can finally find wholesale drug dealers. If doctors worry about drug addicts they should organize centres giving out free injections under supervision.
Members of a public organization “Mothers against drugs” do not agree to deputies either. The head of the organization Alena Pisarenka says they have even sent an appeal to the House of Representatives. But they haven’t received any response yet.
Alena Pіsarenka: “There are parents whose children are on parole for a year because of 0.72 grams. You see what deputies are going to do… and introducing such long terms of imprisonment…
A mother whose son has become a drug addict in prison came to us yesterday. You see that imprisonment does not help to get rid of drug dependence. Poor deputies having to invent such things…
When I think what they are going to say during the Last Judgment my heart starts aching”.
Photo by www.zelao.ru
Only those who had a great amount of drugs on them used to be imprisoned. 1 gram of heroine or 500 grams of marijuana were considered to be a large amount and led to an immediate imprisonment. A smaller amount of drugs was not considered to be a reason for imprisonment unless a person was caught selling it.
Now drug dealers and drug addicts have an equal chance to find themselves behind bars. The head of the department on prevention of distribution of drugs Aleh Pyakarski explains.
Aleh Pyakarskі: “I can tell you that both things are considered to be a crime. You are violating the Criminal Code regulations if you have drugs on you.
The punishment is more severe if we find out that a person was going to sell drugs. If the detained was going to take them then they will be punished for keeping drugs”.
Doctors do not agree to the new rule. A physician from a medical centre “Paracels” Hanna Krauchanka thinks there will not be any use in trying to imprison everyone.
Hanna Krauchanka: “They should increase the minimal dose of drugs people are allowed to have on them. A drug addict is an invalid who will always have that gram at hand.
Other measures should be taken. A more severe system of drug dealing control must be imposed. They should find out how drugs are brought to our country and struggle with it instead of imprisoning people.
You can imprison as many people as you like but it won’t help reduce the number of addicts. Moreover, it is not always easy to tell who is an addict and who is a drug dealer. It seems that now there is no difference because everyone will be imprisoned, right?”
According to Aleh Pyakarski, it is true. If you detain everyone starting from drug addicts and small traders you can finally find wholesale drug dealers. If doctors worry about drug addicts they should organize centres giving out free injections under supervision.
Members of a public organization “Mothers against drugs” do not agree to deputies either. The head of the organization Alena Pisarenka says they have even sent an appeal to the House of Representatives. But they haven’t received any response yet.
Alena Pіsarenka: “There are parents whose children are on parole for a year because of 0.72 grams. You see what deputies are going to do… and introducing such long terms of imprisonment…
A mother whose son has become a drug addict in prison came to us yesterday. You see that imprisonment does not help to get rid of drug dependence. Poor deputies having to invent such things…
When I think what they are going to say during the Last Judgment my heart starts aching”.
Photo by www.zelao.ru
