Journalist: Cheap and Dangerous Drugs Entered Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, July 2
Famous Georgian journalist Inga Grigolia says that cheap and dangerous drugs are available in Georgia which poses threat to the lives of drug consumers.
The journalist doubts that these drugs enter the country because some people cover drug crimes.
She says the fact that the cheap drugs are more affordable for the population, causes intoxication and death of the youth.
Grigolia criticizes the current drug policy, saying the country is doing nothing to treat and rehabilitate drug-addicts.
“Instead of rehabilitation, the state is focused on punishment and does not care what awaits a person after the punitive actions. If drug policy is not aimed at rehabilitating the user and their healthcare, it will be difficult to reduce the number of drug-addicts,” she wrote.
According to the journalist, the state spends much money on drug testing and expertise, adding these funds should be directed to the treatment of drug-addicts.
She added that the attention of the police should be mainly directed towards the prevention of drug trafficking and threats to the public.
“People should not be sent to prison for consuming drugs but the law must be strict towards drug-dealers,” she added.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia says that one of the main priorities of the Ministry is an active and uncompromising fight against illegal circulation and spread of drugs.
The police detained 7 dealers only last week. 4 out of the dealers were detained in Marneuli, Kvemo Kartli Region. The crime committed by them envisages 7 to 14 years of imprisonment.
Moreover, he added that one person was detained in Kutaisi airport, while another one was arrested in village Kabali, Lagodekhi municipality, Kakheti Region.
The ministry says that large quantities of drugs have been seized from foreign nationals and Georgian citizens.
Interior Ministry has detained 79 drugs dealers have been detained and charged over the course of past six months.
