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)