| Security forces ask to reduce the “unpunished” dose of drugs The size of the “non-punishable” dose of drugs established by the government seems too large to official Russian drug fighters, and the State Drug Control Service intends to seek their revision in the near future. This was stated yesterday by Alexander Mikhailov, Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Service for Control of Drug Trafficking. Service experts believe that such concessions allow many criminals to escape responsibility, and the doses themselves are set without taking into account actual practice and medical indications. Mr. Mikhailov recalled that, for example, the average single dose of heroin, the possession of which without the purpose of sale today does not entail criminal prosecution, was increased by decree from 0.005 to 0.1 grams. You can be imprisoned only for 10 single doses, that is, one gram of heroin, which is considered quite large by the State Drug Control Service employees. “Already possession of 0.9 grams of heroin is legitimate,” emphasized Alexander Mikhailov. “This means that tons of heroin could be roaming around Russia.” According to the State Drug Control Service, in the two months that have passed since the government decree and “liberal” amendments to the Criminal Code came into force, in some regions of the country there has been a significant increase in the number of overdoses among drug addicts.
As you know, the State Drug Control Service has never hidden its negative view of the liberalization of Russian legislation in relation to drug addicts. The security forces generally opposed the very introduction into the Criminal Code of the concept of a minimum single dose, the detection of which does not imply immediate detention with subsequent imprisonment. But, without defending their positions, drug fighters made every effort to ensure that the size of these doses was as minimal as possible. Human rights activists had difficulty convincing the White House that, when determining the extent of “impunity” for drug addicts, it is necessary to take into account world practice, and not just the harsh opinion of law enforcement officials. However, the victory of those who consider it necessary to free drug addicts from the threat of criminal prosecution was short-lived. Immediately after the amendments to the Criminal Code came into force, mitigating liability for possession of drugs without the purpose of sale, the State Drug Control Agency became one of the initiators of the “round table” in the State Duma, which ended with the adoption of an appeal to the government with a request to “adjust” the doses downward. However, not relying only on the support of deputies, the State Drug Control Committee decided to independently once again propose to the government to change the May resolution. “We will try to review the situation with doses,” assured Alexander Mikhailov.
The persistence of drug fighters is probably explained not only by good intentions, but also by the desire to correct the statistical indicators of the department - after all, after the amendments to the Criminal Code came into force, a number of criminal cases that were previously initiated against drug addicts, but have not yet reached trial, simply crumble before our eyes. This was partially confirmed by the deputy head of the State Drug Control Service, adding, however, that his agency was referring not so much to drug addicts as to potion dealers. According to Mr. Mikhailov, the government’s overestimation of “unpunished” doses “threatens the decriminalization of a significant number of socially dangerous acts related to the illegal possession and sale of drugs.” Irina BELASHEVA |
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