Lawmakers have suggested that the government think about relaxing the rules on alcohol and cannabis in a bid to stem drug abuse among the youths of the country.
Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Ministry at a meeting on November 7 cited the examples of Canada and the USA, where the governments made the recreational use of cannabis legal.
Alcohol is categorized as a drug under the Narcotics Control Act 2018 and the subsequent schedule. People, except for the foreigners, ethnic minorities and harijans, need to acquire a license to buy and consume alcohol.
The MPs said that cutting tax and VAT on alcohol imports would help prevent the spread of deadly drugs like yaba, heroin and crystal meth or Ice across the country.
The committee has also recommended that the manufacturers and importers take steps to mention the alcoholic volume on the bottles and cans of beverages that have less than 5% alcohol.
The recommendations were approved at a meeting of the JS body on Thursday. Committee Chairman and former home state minister Shamsul Haque Tuku presided over the meeting.
The government currently charges 600% tax on alcoholic beverages. For this reason, the clubs having licenses do not want to import alcohol and tend to collect them through illegal means, said IGP Benazir Ahmed.
“Because of the smuggling of alcohol, the government is being deprived of thousands of crores in taxes. On the other hand, if the taxes are cut down or alcohol consumption is made legal, the Islamist parties will wage a movement,” the police chief said.
Rumana Ali, lawmaker from the reserved seats, suggested that the drugs having little harmful impact should be declared legal. “But the government should not legalize the drugs that are harmful for health if consumed for a long time.”
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said: “We must take all necessary measures to bring back the youths from drug addiction. The government will make a decision considering all the aspects.”
In the recent years, the government has issued licenses for a number of clubs and restaurants in Dhaka and elsewhere to import liquors and run bars.
In response to a petition, the High Court on December 13 asked the government as to why categorizing alcohol as a drug under the law should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.
Mohammad Faruk, managing director of RJ Tower Hotel and Resort Limited in Ashuganj of Brahmanbaria, filed the petition seeking directives to exclude alcohol from the drug category under Narcotics Control Act.
The petitioner pointed out that importers of alcohol, which is allowed as an import item, face problem since it has been categorized as a drug like yaba and crystal meth, which are banned from import or export.
Earlier in 2018, then housing and public works minister Mosharraf Hossain urged the finance minister to lower the taxes on liquor to boost the tourism sector.
