Drugs Bill supports rehab, cracks down on dealers
29 Dec 2011, 7:39 PM
Eleanor Johnstone
Parliament has approved the long-awaited Drugs Bill, submitted by ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik in December 2009 and detained in the Committee for Social Affairs since early 2010.
The bill is said to distinguish between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ drugs while re-defining the treatment of users and traffickers. Witnesses to drug cases will also receive protection.
Ahmed Nazim, a Research and Development officer at Journey Rehabilitation Center in Male’, believes the bill will improve the situation on both sides of prison bars.
“Drug dealers will now face a more serious sentence, so that will reduce the amount of drugs on the street. And users will have a better chance for rehabilitation,” he explained.
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