Combating Drugs in Kuwait: Legislation That Protects the Future

The large-scale drug seizures conducted almost daily by security forces in Kuwait represent one of the biggest threats to the security of a small population state like Kuwait. The damage that these enormous quantities can cause in destroying segments of society, especially the youth who are most susceptible to the temptations of these poisons, cannot be understated.

Facing this threat targeting the country by land, sea, and air, the Kuwaiti government has taken decisive legislative action by announcing a new draft law on combating drugs and psychotropic substances. The final features are currently being finalized for approval in the coming days, aiming to strengthen penalties for those involved in drug trafficking crimes and enhance preventive measures to protect society. So what are the key features of this promising legal project?

One of the most prominent aspects of the draft project is the intensification of penalties for drug dealers, as well as the establishment of a Supreme Council for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, chaired by the Prime Minister. This council aims to coordinate official efforts and develop preventive and therapeutic strategies, leading to the most important aspect: submitting an annual report to His Highness the Amir. This means the matter has become subject to direct oversight from Kuwait’s highest leadership authority, which undoubtedly provides significant momentum for the law’s success and its unwavering implementation.

A careful reading of the project’s key features reveals provisions for preventive measures through periodic and random drug testing targeting military personnel of all ranks, students in schools, institutes and universities, those planning to marry, applicants for driving or weapons licenses, and public sector job seekers. Preventive measures also include requiring the Ministry of Health to establish specialized centers for treating and rehabilitating addicts, equipped with all therapeutic and security requirements, with separate sections for those under twenty-one.

Notably, the project criminalizes associating with drug users even if the person themselves is not proven to use drugs, which represents a legal attempt to eliminate the environment of social complicity and tolerance with these practices. Additionally, it imposes strict pharmaceutical controls and fines of up to 100,000 Kuwaiti dinars (approximately $325,000) on pharmacies that neglect controls on psychotropic substances or fail to secure them, with the possibility of closing violating facilities for up to five years.

These amendments come within Kuwait’s commitment to the recommendations issued by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs and its dedication to implementing all obligations contained in the 2019 Ministerial Declaration regarding ways for countries to combat the drug problem at national, regional, and international levels.

After this legal review of the new law’s key features, we conclude that this project represents a serious step toward enhancing societal security and demonstrates sincere intentions to combat the drug epidemic through strengthening penalties for those involved and enhancing preventive and therapeutic measures, fulfilling the state’s obligations toward protecting families and society from the dangers of addiction and ensuring a secure future for coming generations.