Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir (R) greets Reachout Center Trust Executive Director Taib Abdulrahman. [Photo/ Maxwell Ngala].
Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir has drummed support for the amendment of the Narcotic and Psychotropic Drug Control Act of 1994, saying the law is ineffective in nature.Nassir said the law is punitive and cannot in any way enable anti-drug activists to fight drug abuse among residents at the Coast.Speaking during a youth forum in Old Town, Mombasa on Tuesday, Nassir said the anti-drug law allows police officers to arrest and charge innocent people who are found with paraphernalia related to drug abuse.“Remember if you arrest an individual because he is in possession of a needle and syringe you are simply derailing efforts of ensuring drug users embraces safety measures while injecting drugs and this helps in containing HIV prevalence among drug users,” said Nassir.The legislature said the law does not provide for rehabilitation programmes or even compel the government to work towards establishing rehabilitation centres for the affected.“We want laws that will value treatment and rehabilitation of drug users and not the punitive laws that criminalise those suffering from drug abuse,” said Nassir.The MP also accused the central government and the anti-narcotics police unit of failing to arrest those trafficking narcotics and harassing and punishing drug users in Mombasa and the entire Coast region.He promised anti-drug activists that he will ensure the amendments sail through to pave way for full government intervention in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking in the country.The inter-stakeholders forum which also involved the Mombasa Health department came after anti-drug lobbies at the Coast led by Reachout Centre Trust lamented the old anti-narcotic law was punitive in nature and would negatively impact the fight against drug abuse in the region.Reachout Centre Trust executive director Taib Abdulrahman said activists were in discussion with the Ministry of Health and other national stakeholders including NACADA to push for the amendment.