Drug Addiction Through the Lens of the Law

The exhibition titled “Drug Addiction Through the Lens of the Law” dedicated to the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking starts in the Virtual Center of Legal Information and in the Legal Information Reading Room (room 207b) from June 8 to August 2.

Drugs and psychotropic substances abuse, illicit trafficking is a multifaceted, complex social problem, which has become global in recent decades and is crucial in almost every corner of the world. The UN officially named addiction along with nuclear war and environmental disaster one of the three main threats to civilization.

Since the adoption of the 1988 UN Convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and the establishment of the legal framework for the international control system for the trafficking of chemicals often used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the competent authorities of many countries have issued relevant national legislative and other acts, introducing both mandatory and recommended by the Convention measures and control mechanisms.

In order to protect life and health of citizens of the Republic of Belarus, to create conditions for safe growth of children and youth, to stop the spread of drug addiction as a threat to demography and health of the nation, to ensure the safety of the society and the state, Decree No. 6 “On Urgent Measures to Combat Drug Trafficking” was adopted on December 28, 2014 and entered into force on January 1, 2015, consolidating a number of anti-drug initiatives. The Decree provides for both improving existing national legislation and a number of innovations that have no analogues in international anti-drug law.

A high degree of public danger of drug trafficking has forced toughening criminal liability for such crimes. On February 4, 2015, amendments and additions to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus entered into force, which toughened criminal liability for crimes related to drug trafficking. Thus, the maximum term of imprisonment for knowingly selling drugs to a minor has been increased to 15 years; criminal liability has been introduced for actions that, through negligence, resulted in the death of a person as a result of the use of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues, in the form of imprisonment for a term of 12 to 25 years. For preventive purposes, the minimum age at which responsibility for the sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors or analogues occurs is reduced to 14 years (previously it was from 16 years old).

It should be noted that in recent years the number of crimes related to drug trafficking and drug use, including involving minors, has decreased in the Republic of Belarus. A particular threat today is the growth of pro-narcotic consciousness, especially among young people.

The exhibition can be useful to teachers and students (cadets) of higher education institutions of a legal profile, law enforcement officials. It presents about 100 books, abstracts, periodicals.

The exhibition includes the following thematic sections:

• International cooperation in combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
• Criminal liability for crimes related to drug trafficking: Russian and foreign experience
• Improving anti-drug activities in the Republic of Belarus
• The problems of prevention and combating drug addiction among youth

Official Documents Service Department