Law-enforcers turn blind eye to drug abuse among minors in Armenia 

ArmInfo. Law enforcement officers do not respond properly to the problem of drug distribution among minors in Armenia. This is indicated by lawyer Gohar Meloyan, who published a photo of an article about drug distribution among minors in the village of Mkhchyan in the Ararat region. In particular, students  were tied up in a school toilet and stuffed with drugs.

In this regard, the human rights activist recalled that  representatives of the ruling Civil Contract party received their  powers to combat corruption, realize the importance of man, promote  national values and a number of other populist goals. "Consequently,  you are tens of times more constrained than any other political force  or figure and are obliged to observe these values," the lawyer  emphasized.

However, as Meloyan noted, the ruling party instead uses the high  tribune as a platform for self-expression and, with its noise, drowns  out news about illegal drug trafficking, which has long been a threat  to minors.

"Parents themselves are trying to save their children. The topics of  our once carefree public parent groups and chats have changed: now we  discuss ways to protect children from a drug-addicted environment  instead of discussing issues of children's nutrition," the lawyer  complained. In this regard, the human rights activist stated that the  inflated salaries of law enforcement officers, paid at the expense of  taxpayers, should not be used only for beating demonstrators or using  flash-bang grenades against protesters and called on them to do their  job. "Do your job and demand a report from your colleagues from the  rostrum of the National Assembly of Armenia on the prevention of drug  trafficking," Meloyan concluded.

On May 5, during the meeting of the National Assembly of Armenia's  Committee on State and Legal Affairs, the amendments to the RA  Criminal Code submitted by Hayk Sargsyan, a member of parliament from  the ruling Civil Contract faction, were discussed. According to these  amendments, criminal liability measures for drug trafficking will be  seriously tightened in Armenia. As Sargsyan noted during the meeting,  according to the drug addiction service, the number of people using  drugs increases annually (2018 - 6951, 2019 - 7209, 2020 - 7392, 2021  - 7570, 2022 - 7738). The bill provides for supplementing articles  related to crimes against the circulation of narcotic drugs,  psychotropic substances, and their precursors as crimes with  aggravating circumstances.