Reachout Trust executive director Taib Abdulrahman addressing MCAs during an awareness forum. [Photo/ Maxwell Ngala]
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Control Act of 1994 needs to be amended, a Coast-based anti-drug abuse lobby has said.The lobby group, Reachout Centre Trust, raised the concerns following increased cases of violation of drug users’ rights.Reachout Executive Director Taib Abdulrahman said the narcotic law is outdated as it punishes drug users instead of giving the rehabilitation process a chance.Taib who was addressing members of the Mombasa County Assembly on Thursday concerning the narcotic laws said the law was old and punitive in nature as it did not provide assistance to addicts.“A drug user is a sick person who should be treated and reintegrated in their families. They are not criminals,” said Taib.The anti-drug activist said the law has loopholes, citing the issue of being found in the vicinity of a drug den.He said activists doing counseling in such areas are deemed criminals.“Our security agents should refer to those traffickers as criminals and users as sick people who should be treated and not punished at the expense of rich people engaging in the illegal trade,” said Taib.He said the law also states that if one is found with paraphernalia deemed to be of administering drugs into the body, they should be treated as suspects and charged before a court of law.“Such a clause only aims at violating other people’s rights. If a person is suffering from diabetes and needs an insulin injection then they become criminals and can be arrested according to this punitive law,” he added.He said the law also does not give any specifications on matters of rehabilitation.Taib appealed to the government to invest more in rehabilitation centers and set aside special centers for female drug users.He appealed to the MCAs to refrain from using force in their locality to flush out drug users, adding that leaders are supposed to invest in treatment and sustainable livelihood programmes in the affected areas of representations.