Minister of Justice: Drug crimes down 33%, addiction down 20%

Justice Minister and Advisor Nasser Al-Sameit confirmed a 33 percent decline in drug and psychotropic substance trafficking crimes and a 20 percent drop in consumption offenses, eight months after the implementation of the new anti-drug law. Al-Sameit stated that these results represent unprecedented and promising indicators since the establishment of the General Directorate for Combating Drugs in 2006, noting that the campaign was the result of joint efforts by relevant government agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector. He added that the state has enacted stringent legislation to protect society and combat this scourge by imposing harsher penalties for drug and psychotropic substance trafficking crimes, while also striking a balance between protecting addicts and working to treat them. He praised the efforts of the Ministry of Interior in combating drugs and the Ministry of Health in treating addiction cases, commending the role of the Ministry of Social Affairs in launching the awareness campaign, as well as the efforts of the Ministry of Information, newspapers, and news institutions in supporting awareness messages. Al-Sameit called on parents to monitor their sons and daughters and to take the initiative to report any signs of use or suspicion of addiction, emphasizing that the state has provided the necessary resources to treat such cases with complete confidentiality and in accordance with the legal protections guaranteed under the provisions of the new law. He affirmed that the government, under the direct guidance of the Prime Minister, continues to monitor periodic statistics related to drug and psychotropic substance crimes, with the aim of further reducing them and eradicating this scourge.