Iran to develop a law on drug addicts to be provided with state coupons for narcotic drugs

Almaty. July 24. Silkroadnews – Iran develops a draft law to provide drug addicts with coupons to get narcotic drugs from the government, Al Arabia reports.
International human rights organizations actively criticize Iran for the punishment provided for drug related crimes. However, member of the Iranian parliament Hassan Noroozi, the spokesperson of the parliamentary judicial committee, said that a draft law is currently being developed to provide the drug addicts with the coupons to get drugs from the government, the report said.
H. Noroozi noted that religious references did not object to such a measure. According to him, the distribution of coupons to persons suffering from drug dependence should break the links between drug addicts and drug dealers.
“The government will provide soft drugs on addicts so they gradually quit addiction. Instead of seeking drug traffickers, they will resort to the government and get drugs (legally)”, H Noroozi was quoted saying.
He explained that the point is about methadone therapy, drug addicts will receive methadone instead of opium, cannabis and other drugs common in Iran.
The judicial committee of the Iranian parliament has reportedly proposed a draft law abolishing the execution penalty for storing and distributing less than 100 kg of traditional drugs, such as opium, or less than 2kg of synthetic drugs.
On July 16, the Iranian parliament approved amendments to the law on drug trafficking and established a death penalty for producers and distributors of drugs that involve minors in their crimes.
According to H.Nozoori, according to the amendments to the law, the death penalty remains for the production and distribution of 2 kg of synthetic drugs and for the storage and carrying of 3 kg of synthetic drugs.
According to international human rights organizations in 2016, at least 570 people were executed in Iran for drug-related crimes.