ABU DHABI // Use of illegal drugs has been downgraded to a misdemeanour and options other than jail have been provided for first-time offenders, under changes to the anti-narcotics law.
The minimum four-year jail sentence has been reduced to two, and the Attorney General has the power to send an offender for treatment without the case going to court, after advice from police and prosecutions.
Options for first-time offenders include sending them to a rehabilitation centre, a maximum fine of Dh10,000, or community service.
President Sheikh Khalifa has issued the update to the original law from 1995. It now states that drug use is no longer a felony.
Under the reforms, courts have the option of adding a minimum fine of Dh10,000 to sentences for serial offenders.
And if a drug user is handed over by their family to a rehabilitation centre, police or prosecutors, they face no penalty and will remain in treatment until the centre decides they can be released.
Previously this was only the case if the drug user turned themselves in.
The minimum period spent in rehabilitation centres has been reduced from three to two years.
Dr Asma Fakhri, a drug control and crime prevention expert at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, praised the changes.
“The UAE is one of the leading countries in trying to look at drug dependence from a health perspective and changing laws is not an easy thing,” Dr Fakhri said. “So it is quite commendable to have the courts decide on individual cases.”
Hatem Aly, also of the UNODC, was involved in a study with UAE authorities on drug use in the country. He said the revised law allowed for alternative solutions in drug policy, at least for first-time offenders.
“We see it as a very positive step that the country is considering this alternative,” said Mr Aly. “It is a very smart initiative by the country to develop this treatment system.”
He said the revisions would also save the UAE a lot of money, as the cost of imprisonment is much higher than treatment.
“You cannot imagine the cost of an inmate, because the UAE has very high standards in prisons,” Mr Aly said.
“So the cost of accommodation, services and number of staff is very high and incomparable with the cost of treatment.”
Dr Ali Al Marzooqi, public health and research director of the National Rehabilitation Centre in Abu Dhabi, said that treatment centres across the country would have growing demand after the regulations came into force.
“We analyse the trends of substances and the number of service users each year, and are able to predict the incremental need and plan our services accordingly, in terms of capacity, staffing and budgeting,” he said.
“The new NRC building has nearly double the current capacity and it should be capable of handling the extra influx.”
The revised law also cuts down the sentence of those who use any drugs that are not mentioned in the law, from a minimum of one year in jail to a maximum of one year.
The law comes into force one month after it has been published in the official gazette, although it has not yet been published.
hdajani@thenational.ae
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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