House hopes to deliberate drug bill soon
House hopes to deliberate drug bill soon
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives hopes to begin
deliberating the long-awaited bill on psychotropic substances
next month as soon as it ratifies the 1971 UN Convention on
Psychotropic Substances.
House members said yesterday the bill on psychotropic
substances is expected to go into effect in January or before
their terms of office expire, around September next year at the
latest.
"The bill concerning ratification of the UN Convention on
Psychotropic Substances will be approved next week on Monday,"
Rustandi, a House member of Commission VIII on health affairs,
told The Jakarta Post.
Rustandi said deliberation of the bill on psychotropic
substances is expected to finish in January next year.
The government presented the two bills to the House last
month. The proposed UN convention will allow Indonesia to
cooperate with other countries in handling trafficking of
psychotropic substances, such as Ecstasy.
Khofifah Indar Parawansa, a House member from the United
Development Party, said ratification of the convention is
important for Indonesia.
"Actually, Indonesia should have ratified the convention a
long time ago," Khofifah, a member of House Commission VIII, told
The Post.
She said the government's bill on psychotropic substances is
still lacking important details.
For instance, she said, the bill does not clarify the
punishment that may be meted out to people who use and sell the
substances at the same time.
"The current bill only clarifies the punishment given to
people who use or sell the substances" Khofifah said.
In addition, she said, the bill fails to regulate supervision
of drugstores or doctors.
"Very strict supervision should not make doctors or drugstores
reluctant to treat patients or provide psychotropic substances to
the needy just because they are afraid of possible prosecution,"
Khofifah said.
Medical practitioners, drugstore owners or hospital employees
that distribute psychotropic drugs against the law are also
liable to one year in jail or a fine of up to Rp 15 million
(US$6,300).
Rustandi revealed that the bill failed to include customs
officers in the fight against illegal psychotropic substances.
"In fact, customs officers can play a major role in preventing
illegal trafficking of psychotropic substances," he said.
Furthermore, he noted that the bill does not specify the
amount of the psychotropic substance considered illegal or the
allowable dosage of psychotropic substances people can carry as
part of their personal medication.
The bill, which has 67 articles, stipulates that anyone
trafficking psychotropic substances is liable to a maximum jail
term of 20 years and a fine of up to Rp 500 million.
The draft law prohibits any use of psychotropic substances
except for scientific and very limited medical purposes by duly
authorized persons, and in medical and scientific establishments
which are directly under the control or approval of the
government.
Article 60 states that people caught possessing illegal
psychotropic drugs can be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail or
be fined up to Rp 200 million.
Expatriates are to be allowed to possess psychotropic
substances in small doses for personal or medical use as long as
they can prove they obtained the drug legally. However, those who
violate the law face deportation. (ste)