of the national strategic framework for vulnerable children, including prevention of
vulnerabilities, reactivation of legal tools and rehabilitation of children in conflict with the
law, support and reinforcement of what has been acquired.
About children involved in drug use, in the absence of a study to understand the extent of the
phenomenon, an epidemiological survey of drug users in the Republic of Congo was
conducted in 2004 in Brazzaville, Dolisie and Ouesso by the Department of Scientific
Research. The survey showed that in a sample of 239 people surveyed in specialised services
(police, customs, prisons, psychiatric services). With regard to the age, 2.87% of drug addicts
were under 18 years (the first contact with drug mainly is around 8 years), 27.69% were aged
between 19 and 25, 64.92% were aged between 26 and 35 years. The phenomenon of militias
and its extension were born out of idleness and misery caused by of underemployment and
unemployment, especially among young people. Cocaine, heroin and cannabis sativa are the
main drugs that are accessed by the population of Congo. The problem of use of drugs and
alcohol affects children living on the streets, young people and several war veterans. In the
department of Brazzaville, drug use has dramatically increased in recent years, where
alcoholism prevalence rate in 2005 was the highest, up 28.3% for some parts of the city.
Alcohol consumption is not subject to strict national legislation and the phenomenon
continues to spread, bringing with it problems such as risky sexual behaviour and increased
violence.
The Congolese law of 12 July 1916 on narcotics and its implementing decrees of 30
December 1916 and 5 March 1918 were adopted in order to punish offenses relating to the
import, trade, possession, like poisonous substances. This law was supplemented by the
Decree of 29 August 1926, which extended its scope to cultivation of these substances. In
addition, Congo has acceded to the conventions below:
-Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961;
-United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances of 1988;
- Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971
The Criminal Code punishes those offenses in articles 274 al. 2 275 al. 1, 2 and 3; 276 al. 1,
2, 3 and 5. This concerns the possession and consumption of cannabis.
All these laws adequately protect children against drugs. They should be supplemented in
order to fight effectively against the producers, growers of these substances, users, drug
traffickers and all the intermediaries, by aggravating the penalties and widening the scope of
these laws.
Nevertheless, Congo has been equipped itself with a Child Protection Act (4-2010 of 14 June
2010) which, in its Article 69 prohibits "to encourage the child to the consumption of drugs,
narcotics and alcohols; to use the child in the production and marketing of such substances. "
Similarly, there is a bill on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances that is still not
adopted.
Administratively, the anti – drugs Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee established by
Decree No. 94-578 of 25 October 1994 is a body of decision support. It aims to encourage
prevention, care, social inclusion, information and research. Unfortunately, this committee is
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