Administrative and Criminal Law Aspects of Preventing Offenses Committed by Minors in the Sphere of Illegal Circulation of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors
Author(s): Tetiana Voloshanivska, Inna Pozihun, Serhii Losych, Olha Merdova and Yevhen Leheza*
Abstract
Background: The article highlights legal regulation of administrative and Criminal Law Aspects of Preventing Offenses Committed by Minors in the Sphere of Illegal Circulation of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors.
Methods: The methodological basis of the research is presented as comparative-legal and systematic analysis, formal-legal method, interpretation method, hermeneutic method as well as methods of analysis and synthesis. The following research methods were used in the process of performing the set tasks: Legal regulation of the specifics of preventing offenses committed by minors in the sphere of illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors was studied was studied using the formal-logical method; the system-structural method was used to identify and analyze legal regulation of the specifics of preventing offenses committed by minors in the sphere of illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors; the comparative legal method was used to analyze prevention of offenses committed by minors in the sphere of illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors which deserves attention; appropriate proposals for the legislation of Ukraine were prepared with the help of the formal legal method.
Results: Carried out was an analysis of statistical data on the use of narcotic drugs by minors, the number of diseases associated with the injection method of drug administration and measures of influence on minors aged 16 to 18 years were applied. It was determined that today; units of the National Police of Ukraine are one of the main subjects in the sphere of combating drug addiction among children. Thus, specially authorized police officers are tasked to counteract illegal drug trafficking, detect, prevent the commission of, and solve relevant crimes, carry out investigative measures and preventive work with the population, including minors.
Conclusion: The tasks entrusted to the police units for implementation of measures in the sphere of prevention of and countermeasures against drug trafficking among minors have been disclosed. The main preventive measures carried out by territorial police bodies in the field of combating illegal drug trafficking are highlighted. Identified are gaps and shortcomings in the legislation regarding activities to be performed by the units of the National Police of Ukraine in the sphere of preventing drug trafficking among minors, namely absence of a clear definition of powers entrusted directly to juvenile prevention units regarding preventive measures in the sphere of drug trafficking among minors, implementation of administrative supervision of children who used narcotic substances or were prosecuted.
