The vote on the package on mandatory drug testing in law enforcement agencies was postponed for 2 months.

Agnesa Khamoyan, deputy of RA NA "Armenia" faction, proposes to exclude the use of drugs in law enforcement agencies. According to him, a police officer, an investigator, a National Security Service employee, an employee of the National Security Service, a rescuer cannot use drugs, and in case of use, it is recommended to impose the most severe disciplinary punishment, dismissal. Dismissal is also planned in case of refusal to pass the drug test.

The legislative package providing for additions and amendments to the RA Investigative Committee and related laws was discussed in the first reading at the session of the NA Standing Committee on State-Legal Affairs.

According to the press service of the National Assembly, the above-mentioned employees with the package will randomly pass a drug test twice a year. According to the author, different drugs are stored in the body for different periods of time, and random delivery will not allow a person to know the period and exclude drug use before that. It will also enable the relevant authorities to carry out accurate distribution, meaning that testing laboratories will not be overburdened.

Not denying the importance of the idea of ​​the project, the chairman of the commission, Vladimir Vardanyan, spoke about the methods and forms of the fight against drugs. "Who are we detecting through this system? we detect addicts, we don't detect the chain, we don't find the shipper, manufacturer, importer. We are coming from the effect, not fighting against the cause", said the MP and emphasized the presentation of the complete package.

Agnesa Khamoyan assured that this will not be her last project related to the fight against drugs. According to him, no employee of the law enforcement, pre-investigation body can use drugs.

In the related report, Lilit Minasyan, a member of the commission, also highlighted the idea, noted that there are problematic points related to legal certainty. Lilit Minasyan proposed to hold discussions with the representatives of the executive to understand which bodies of the law enforcement system are most related to the function of fighting drugs, what sanctions can be applied and whether the dismissal is legal, to discuss the question of the periodicity of passing tests, the number and possibilities of tests, the volume of laboratories : According to the MP, this will give an opportunity to have a more clear and effective project.

Armenuhi Harutyunyan, who is performing the duties of the Minister of Justice of the RA, presented the structures already provided by the legislation in the fight against drugs. It was noted that the proposed regulation is not acceptable to the Government at this time. "If it will be possible to form another project around the idea with the deputies, I think the Government will not be against another project, because it was not against the idea from the beginning," said the representative of the executive.

Deputies, highlighting the idea proposed by the initiative, spoke about the problems of legal certainty. They agreed that there should be no tolerance for the use and distribution of drugs.

According to Vladimir Vardanyan, it is necessary to specify the composition of the entities to which the mentioned regulations should be applied. The periodicity within which these examinations will be carried out should also be specified. "It is necessary to understand what measures of disciplinary responsibility should be planned," the deputy noted, and in this context also spoke about the issue of selective methodology.

The holding of professional discussions regarding the issue in the near future was emphasized.

It was recorded that a working group is being created for the purpose of updating the project.

The author expressed his willingness to revise the legislative package and discuss the proposals.

As a result of the discussions, the voting of the legislative package was postponed for up to two months.