Russian Interior Ministry Proposes Prison Terms for Repeated Online Drug Promotion

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) has proposed introducing criminal liability for repeated promotion of drugs on the internet. The corresponding draft federal law was published on Wednesday, August 12, on the official online portal for draft regulatory legal acts.

According to the document’s justification, “The internet, as a powerful tool of influence, is actively exploited for the promotion of drugs and the dissemination of information about methods of their production, which has become a significant problem contributing to the growth of drug use among the population. As a result of such promotion, new individuals are drawn into drug consumption and illegal drug trafficking.”

The MVD believes that involving new people in this sphere helps create a stable demand for drugs and leads to the expansion of the illegal drug market. The ministry notes that introducing criminal liability is necessary to prevent the mass distribution of educational information related to illegal drug trafficking and content that encourages a positive or tolerant attitude toward drug use.

On July 21, Andrey Khrapov, Lieutenant General of Police and Head of the Main Directorate for Drug Control of the Russian MVD, reported that during the quarantine period, the number of drug-related crimes committed using IT technologies in Russia increased by 74%.

In early July, a bill was submitted to the State Duma to toughen penalties for encouraging drug use online.

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