Law of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances in the Kingdom

The Law of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia refers to a set of penal rules that govern the combat against crimes related to narcotic drug abuse, financing, procurement, and export, as well as the use of psychotropic substances. It also covers the identification and characterization of criminal offenses associated with narcotic drug-related crimes, the determination of corresponding penalties, and the competent criminal investigation and judicial entities. The law was promulgated in 2005; however, the Kingdom's first anti-drug legislation dates back to 1934 under the title Prevention of Narcotic Drug Trafficking and Use Law.

The law's articles aim to reduce the crime of narcotic drug trafficking, possession of narcotic substances, and the use of psychotropic substances, as well as to determine the corresponding penalties. The provisions of the law define sedative and narcotic chemicals sold in pharmacies and medical centers, prohibiting their sale except by prescription and not exceeding the doses prescribed in the tables annexed to the Law of Combating Narcotics and its Implementing Regulations.

Throughout its history, the Kingdom has enacted a series of legislation and promulgated numerous resolutions to combat the scourge of narcotic drugs, recognizing their detrimental effects on society, physical, psychological, and mental health, as well as their association with crime. In 1934, the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud issued the first anti-narcotic drug legislation under the name of the Prevention of Narcotic Drug Trafficking and Use Law.

In 1955, the Council of Ministers issued a resolution establishing penalties for drug smugglers, their assistants, dealers, and users. In 2005, the Law of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances was promulgated. This law defined the offenses involved, established their penalties, and set up licensing frameworks for the manufacture of medical preparations containing narcotic or psychotropic substances, as well as procedures for dispensing them.

In 2009, the text of the Statute of the National Committee for Narcotics Control was approved. In 2010, the Implementing Regulations of the Law of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances were issued. The latter's articles include controls for medications containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances approved for transportation and medical circulation, as well as the types and quantities of narcotics and psychotropic substances. The Minister of the Interior, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, may amend such types and quantities.

The Law of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances enables individuals abusing or using narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances to be admitted to specialized clinics. It mandates their attendance at designated psychiatric clinics for addiction treatment. Those to be discharged from the clinic must visit the psychiatric clinic to verify their progress. Within three months of beginning treatment at the psychiatric clinic, the clinic's physician must submit a report on the patient's status to the addiction cases committee. This report aids the committee in determining whether the patient has successfully recovered or requires extended treatment.

Addicts are treated with full confidentiality. The law mandates confidentiality to conceal their identities and all information regarding their condition. Anyone who discloses information about drug addicts during interrogation or trial is subject to punishment, including up to three months' imprisonment or a fine of up to SAR30,000. For this purpose, the Kingdom launched an initiative to bolster the provision of addiction treatment services in psychiatric clinics, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. Fifty hospitals were nominated as psychiatric clinics, tasked with providing preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services. This involves explaining the grave dangers associated with falling prey to drug addiction and its complications, addressing the causes of relapse, managing withdrawal symptoms upon cessation of addiction, and treating accompanying psychological symptoms through clinics or inpatient wards.