The Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday passed a government-initiated amendment bill which adds five additional substances to Macau’s anti-drug law, which are also subject to international control.
Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak introduced the bill during yesterday’s plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle.
The current anti-drug law was enacted in 2009. It is officially known as the Law on the Prohibition of the Illicit Production, Trafficking and Consumption of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
Addressing the legislature’s hemicycle before the vote, Wong pointed out that the amendment lists an additional five substances, four of which are opiate analgesics such as 2-methyl-AP-237 (hydrochloride), while one is a synthetic cannabinoid. Wong underlined that the police investigated 17 cases related to synthetic cannabinoid between early 2021 to September 2023.
Wong also said that the bill adds only five more substances to Macau’s anti-drug law without changing other articles in the law, with an urgent procedure for the debate and vote of the amendment law carried out by the legislature, aiming to enable law-enforcement entities to strengthen compliance with the law in combating the drug offences.
Lawmaker Leong Sun Iok raised concerns about e-cigarettes that might contain drugs. Wong said that e-cigarettes are not subject to the anti-drug law, but if the addition of drugs into e-cigarettes becomes a serious matter in the future, the inclusion of e-cigarettes in the anti-drug law could be considered. However, Macau’s public security chief was quick to add that this was not necessary for the time being.
In addition, lawmakers Nick Lei Leong Wong and Carmen Lo Choi In expressed their concern about drug abuse by young people. The Social Welfare Bureau’s (IAS) Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Department Chief Richard Cheang Io Tat told the lawmakers that the number of young drug users in Macau was relatively small in the past five years, and in the first half of this year, the total number of reported drug users was 96, of which five were young people under the age of 21.
In addition, the bureau collaborated with non-government organisations in launching a big data network survey last year, which successfully screened 300,000 messages containing keywords related to drugs, in the hope of understanding the situation of hidden drug abuse among young people through online means, Cheang said, adding that thanks to the network 32 young people have so far been identified for their potential drug involvement.
The bill will come into force on the day following its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO).
Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak looks on during yesterday’s plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle. – Photo courtesy of TDM
