Egypt's House in principle approves bill dismissing drug abuser from work

CAIRO – 9 May 202: Egypt’s House of Representatives (the lower house of the Parliament) in principle approved a new draft law, per which a public servant, who was found a drug abuser, shall be fired from his job.

 

The new law aims at protecting public facilities and the lives of citizens from the imminent danger that drug abusers may cause in their jobs.

 

Egypt witnessed several road and train accidents due to human-caused errors by drug abusers. Recently, it was proven that a driver and a co-driver of two trains collided on March 26, 2021, in Sohag (Upper Egypt), and resulted in the death of 20 people and the injury of 199 others are drug abuser.

 

According to the new law, a sudden test shall be conducted for the public servants. In case it is proved that the employee is a drug abuser, he/shall be suspended in his work for three months until doing another drug test.

 

The House agreed to punish anyone who deliberately allows anyone who is proven a drug abuser to remain in any governmental bodies and agencies, with imprisonment and a fine up to LE 200,000 (about US $ 12,762.)