Algerian Criminal Policy in Combating Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substance Offences

Abstract

In accordance with the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Vienna, 1988), 'narcotic drugs' are defined as any substance, natural or synthetic, listed in Schedules I and II of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol. Similarly, 'psychotropic substances' refer to any substance, natural or synthetic, or any natural product listed in Schedules I, II, III, and IV of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971.

Narcotic drugs are toxins that threaten all of humanity, debilitating the human body physically and diminishing mental faculties internally, while also undermining moral standards. Consequently, they have been internationally criminalized—a path adopted by the Algerian Legislator through Law No. 04-18, as most recently amended and supplemented by Law No. 25-03 (dated July 1, 2025), to keep pace with contemporary developments and emerging challenges.