How come the criminal law in Bahrain punishes drug addicts severely 
just as drug dealers and drug traffickers? Where the first party is treated 
like criminals who deserve imprisonment for their use of drugs just as 
drug dealers, when the punishment only varies with the sentence period.
So why doesn't the Criminal Code differentiate between the drug dealer 
and the drug addict when it comes to penalties?
In fact, those who practice this dirty act as a profession for harming 
people are different from those who use drugs as addicts, likewise 
addicts require treatment, even if they promoted small quantities of 
drugs, we must know it's only getting their next dose that will quench 
their painful suffering; As long as they haven't received treatment and 
awareness to heal and start a clean life.
Meanwhile and with only one center "The Mohammed Al-Moayad Center 
for Combating Alcohol and Drug Addiction" There were many years 
spent in vain before people thought of setting up a drug treatment 
center.
So, the chances of recovery for these addicts, who is growing 
immensely every year since the establishment of this single-center in 
1989, are few.
The inability of addicts to heal, is either because of ignorance or lack of 
treatment.
We all know the length of queues of addicts waiting to enter this modern 
center for intensified treatment, as there is no room for them, so they 
keep on doing drugs, harming themselves and their communities.
Thus, under criminal law, which considers the addict as a criminal, not 
a psychologically or socially ill human being, the terms of imprisonment 
of these addicts before their treatment are numerous, as they are 
sentenced to six months imprisonment for each time a drug user is 
arrested. These provisions are various up to seven years and more.
Some of them are fortunate to respond to the excellent rehabilitation 
treatment performed by the treatment team in the rehabilitation section 
of addicts on the second floor of "The Mohammed Al-Moayad Center for 
Combating Alcohol and Drug Addiction", adding the great volunteer work 
carried out by the members of the Anonymous Addict Association with 
some of the volunteers who have recovered and came to support their 
colleagues to reach the stage of recovery after healing from addiction.

However, after recovery, they find themselves forced to return to prison 
to serve other old sentences registered against them before their 
recovery.
Right away, I seat this critical question; Isn't this addict who has 
recovered and wants to start a healthy, normal life has the right to be 
exempt from the old provisions resulting from the arrest of when he was 
an addict?
Furthermore is the deviation of a person to addiction due to the lack of 
consciousness, neglection of the family, other's bad influence or the 
ignorance of the consequences of taking drugs, is considered as cruel 
as a crime? I don't think that this corresponds to the truth.
As a matter of fact the addict is an ill person who needs treatment, not 
punishment.
And for him to be treated and qualified psychologically not to fall again 
as a victim to drug traffickers, we must help him to start a clean life and 
try to provide him with opportunities to be a productive human being in 
society.
And not for the criminal law to bring him back to prison again to fall back 
as a victim of despair and hopelessness to the drug dealers at the 
prison.
As we all know that drugs reach the prisons and be dealt with by the 
prisoners, however, we don't know how it enters into the cells? It is the 
responsibility of the Ministry of internal affairs to prevent its presence 
there.
One of the recovered addicts stated; a 33-year-old man who is now 
carrying out old prison terms for being on drugs before his treatment; 
“Out of my bad luck, I got to know a group of bad friends when I was at 
school, they taught me how to smoke weed and Heroin, and due to my 
ignorance of their consequences, I thought that I could've quit it any time 
I wanted.
But I found myself unable to quit it, and I got more into the world of 
addiction Until I knew that there were a cure for it in "Mohammed Al-
Moayad Center for Combating Alcohol and Drug Addiction", I turned to 
this center and I thanked god that I finally found a solution for my case. I 
found an outstanding medical and psychological staff in dealing with us

to get rid of addiction and start the stage of recovery psychologically and 
socially so that we can face those who try to drag us to drug dealers.
And today I recovered, but I can't start a new life, As I have to head back 
to prison to serve a previous sentence due to my drug 
addiction, meanwhile I still have three more years to serve.
And here I am, at the age of thirty-four, when do I get to start working”?.
This guy who is fully recovered is still serving his sentence, and the 
saddening thing is that he is gifted in carpentry and sculpture, also he is 
financially capable because his father is a businessman, to start having 
a small shop of his own to establish a healthy life.
I hope that state officials will revise the Criminal Code not to add these 
addicts as criminals who deserve to be imprisoned and punished 
severely.
But instead considering them as patients that we must aware and treat 
properly, as I hope for the ministry of health to establish another 
rehabilitation center that follows modern solutions in terms of treating the 
alcohol and drug addicts.
Considering that the addicts are increasing as results of the spreading of 
the drug epidemic and the ignorance of children and parents of the 
dangers of addiction also the neglect of parents to their children.
However, sending them to prison won't do any good, but pushing them 
to recover and to spread awareness among them is way more helpful, 
also establishing more rehabilitation centers to help them too after the 
recovery to work and be productive. That's what will truly help in 
decreasing the number of addicts in our society.