Consumer rights protection activists have lauded Parliament for passing the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Bill, 2023 for the second time.
Parliament yesterday considered and passed the Bill which imposes heavy fines and jail sentences for offenders.
The Bill seeks to domesticate international enforcement best practices and also provide interim measures against drug abuse, establish mechanisms for the rehabilitation of drug addicts, and put in place measures to save Uganda from being a transit route.
Speaking to KFM, Uganda Mable Kukunda Musinguzi, the head of advocacy and networking at the National Health Consumers Organization, said an overwhelming number of Ugandans are grappling with mental illnesses with a significant number attributed to increased use of drugs.
She is optimistic that once assented to by the president, the law will help save the lives of Ugandans.
The Act was annulled by the Constitutional Court on grounds that at the time of its passing, Parliament lacked the required quorum.
Consequently, government reintroduced the Bill in May this year
