Law aimed at counteracting drug propaganda

The Federal Law aims to counteract propaganda of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues and precursors, plants containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances or their precursors.

Amendments are introduced to the Federal Law On Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances that clarify the legislative ban on the abovementioned propaganda, that is, the dissemination of information about illegal drug use. In addition, a ban is established on the distribution of literary and artistic works containing information about illegal drug use without markings applied to such works that include information about criminal and administrative liability for illegal drug trafficking, as well as about the harm to health that illegal drug use entails. The functions of determining the content of this marking and establishing the methods and terms of its application are assigned to the federal executive body authorised by the Russian Government.

At the same time, the Federal Law specifies the legal definition of "anti-drug propaganda" and establishes cases of lawful dissemination of information about narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and other purposes permitted by the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Corresponding amendments are made to the laws On Mass Media, Fundamentals of Legislation of the Russian Federation on Culture, and the Federal Law On Information, Information Technologies, and the Protection of Information.