Police Clarifies Article Titled 'More Than 700 Police Officers Suspected of Drug Addiction'

On September 9, a news site published an article titled 'More Than 700 Police Officers Suspected of Drug Addiction,' which stated that police officers were required to undergo testing at the Ministry of Health’s National Center for Treatment of Addictions. The Police of the Republic of Armenia has issued a clarification regarding this matter, stating:

‘The examination of police officers regarding the use of drugs and psychoactive substances is related to the certification process of police officers. Specifically, it is a legal requirement enshrined in the decision No. 892-N of the Government of the Republic of Armenia dated June 1, 2023. According to this decision, a police officer is allowed to participate in the certification process only after receiving a negative result from the substance use examination. Therefore, regardless of the presence or absence of suspicion, all police officers must undergo this examination before the actual certification process.’