Plans for law to distinguish between drug user, trafficker

The government will be looking into ways of changing the law on dangerous substances to make a distinction between drug users and drug traffickers, Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said.

The minister stressed the importance of taking the victims - those who are caught with small quantities of drugs - into consideration.

"The time is right to start working on a distinction between a trafficker and someone who abuses drugs," he said.

In his message for World No Drugs Day, which will be celebrated next week, the minister said the drug problem was affecting many young people in a number of countries, both rich and poor, and it also exists in Malta. He said it is a pity that so many young people are putting their lives at risk for some moments of fun.

"Many lives were wasted because of this bad habit, while drug abuse brings about other problems. Many thefts and more severe offences are related to people with drug problems," he said.

Dr Borg said that until 1999 people caught at the airport even with small amounts of drugs for personal use faced a six-month jail term. Through an amendment in the law a net distinction was made between drug victims and those who sell it.

The minister said today the opposition is also in agreement about the need to reform the law. He said former President Guido de Marco had set up a committee made up of those who are in one way or another involved in the issue.

"The government is committed to fight drug traffickers in all possible ways. Proof of this is the success by the police in arresting traffickers and the sentences given in court," he said.

The minister expressed his belief that drug problems were social problems which needed everyone's cooperation to be overcome. He said not all those who made use of drugs were criminals, many were victims.

"We have to ensure that those victims do not continue to increase while a few drug barons get richer," he stressed.