Araz News:  Iranian Member of Parliament Hassan Noroozi, the spokesperson of the parliament’s judicial committee, said there was a draft law to provide drug addicts with coupons to get drugs from the government on Sunday, 23 July 2017.
The Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) quoted Noroozi as saying that distributing these coupons will be carried out like the days of the Shah, adding that religious references had agreed to distributing drugs through the government.

He noted that the aim of this proposal is to cut the relation between drug addicts and drug traffickers.

“The government will provide soft drugs to addicts so they gradually quit the addiction. Instead of seeking drug traffickers, they will resort to the government and get drugs (legally),” he said.

Noroozi added that soft drugs refer to Methadone which will be distributed instead of opium, cannabis and other common drugs in Iran.

The judicial committee had proposed a draft law that halts the execution penalty for carrying and distributing less than 100 kilograms of traditional drugs like opium or less than two kilograms of synthetic drugs.

On July 16, the Iranian parliament approved a list of amendments to the country’s drug law and mandated the death penalty against drug producers, traders and traffickers who use minors to commit drug-related crimes.

Noroozi said the new amendments were added to the previous drug law, adding that the people who produce and distribute 2 kilograms of synthetic drugs or carry or keep three kilograms of synthetic drugs will be executed.

Iran has been widely criticized by international human rights organizations due to its strict judicial decisions over drug-related crimes. Amnesty said that at least 570 people were executed in Iran in 2016 for drug-related convictions.

Also ,head of the Counter Narcotics Committee Mr. Ali Hashemi has strongly defended to distribution of State Drugs in the country which factors in reducing dirty money and drug dealing.

He stated that the consumption management strategy has many benefits for instant we can change in the pattern of consumption of narcotics in the country via this method. He added, in the first stage, the traditional drug (opium) will begin with the distribution as a State’s Drug Coupons.

Mr. Ali Hashemi  at the end of his speech added that it is expected that  in case of correct implementation of the consumption management policy and distribution of state drugs in the country  we will bring 80% of the benefit for the system and 20% will be damaged for the system ultimately .

By-A.A