CAIRO -

A type of imported chocolate in the Egyptian market has raised concerns and controversy on social media platforms, because it contains narcotics, amounting to 2.3%, which necessitated the action of the Ministry of Interior and parliamentary accountability, especially as it may have caused the dismissal of employees accused of drug abuse.

The former president of Cairo University and professor of constitutional law, Gaber Nassar, expressed fears about the chocolate, which is used in the manufacture of the poppy plant, from which the narcotic opium is extracted.

The poppy plant is the source from which different types of drugs are extracted, such as opium, heroin and morphine, and its cultivation is spread in Thailand, Afghanistan, Iran, Mexico and Colombia.

Nassar attributed, through a post on his official account on the social networking site Facebook, the reason for the positive analysis of drugs in some people, to their consumption of chocolate imported from abroad.

And the Egyptian government recently conducted a sudden blood test for employees to detect drug addicts, after the House of Representatives approved last year a law to dismiss government employees who are proven to be drug addicts.

The former president of Cairo University said that for quite some time he had received complaints from many of them who occupy important positions and jobs, as blood analysis proved that they had used drugs and therefore they were fired from their job, even though they do not smoke even cigarettes.

How does chocolate contain hashish and what is written like this in its ingredients was returned to the Imports Authority and the Ministry of Health???

You should refuse from the virtual examination even before you enter the lab https://t.co/UZFgEzc73a

— Riri (@Riri_egy) April 5, 2022

The military cadet crisis

The post, which Nassar apparently deleted after it sparked controversy, sparked widespread popularity on social media platforms, which was followed by the former President of Cairo University with a telephone conversation with broadcaster Amr Adib, to go on to explain the crisis.

Nassar said that the recent period witnessed a complaint from many citizens, especially from some students of military colleges who are subject to random and sudden analyzes by the college administration, "and the tests showed positive samples for drugs even though they do not smoke even cigarettes," as he confirmed.

He stressed that the type of imported chocolate contains 2.3% of the poppy substance, according to what is indicated on its outer box, pointing out that many European countries, along with America, allow the use of narcotics in various food industries, unlike Egypt, which criminalizes mere possession of it.

Regarding the Egyptian authorities’ permission to enter this type of chocolate, Nassar justified, saying, “It is clear that the company producing chocolate is a global brand, and it has hundreds of versions of different flavors, including the poppy drug.”

sampling

According to local media, the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade launched campaigns to withdraw samples of some of the chocolates in supermarkets, in order to determine the reality of the presence of drugs in them.

The Ministry of Interior said that some poppy seeds are included in the ingredients of some foodstuffs, and are processed before use to ensure that they are free of narcotics.

In turn, the head of the Consumer Protection Agency, Ayman Hosam El-Din, confirmed that he assigned the concerned department to withdraw samples of one of the types of chocolate sold in major commercial chains.

He said in press statements, that the samples that will be withdrawn will be subject to examination and analysis in order to make a decision regarding this product, and to clarify whether it contains poppies or not, as well as to determine the legal status after determining whether it is a local manufacturer or an importer.

For her part, member of the House of Representatives, Amal Abdel Hamid, submitted a request for a briefing directed to the Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, and considered in her request to sell this type of chocolate a very dangerous matter for the health of citizens that could lead them to addiction, calling on the Ministry of Supply to intensify supervision of the markets and stand on the issue. The nature of the materials from which the imported products are made.

The Ministry of Interior indicated that some poppy seeds are included in the ingredients of some foodstuffs and are processed before use to ensure that they are free of narcotic substances, and that samples of chocolate circulating in the markets will be drawn for analysis to ensure that they comply with international standards.

pic.twitter.com/sZBMwgUVoY

— Ministry of the Interior (@moiegy) April 4, 2022

Anti-drug campaigns

In 2019, the Egyptian government launched media campaigns against addiction in which football star, Mohamed Salah, participated under the slogan “You are stronger than drugs,” and initiated legal moves to dismiss an employee who is proven to be drug addict.

And in December of last year, the Fund for Combating and Treating Addiction and Abuse announced the start of implementing Law No. 73 of 2021 regarding the dismissal of an employee of the state’s administrative apparatus if drug use was proven.

The law also included the termination of the service of an employee who refrains from conducting a drug test without an acceptable excuse, and any employee who allows an addict to occupy government jobs shall be punished with imprisonment and a fine.

Last March, Amr Othman, director of the Fund for Combating and Treating Addiction and Abuse, announced that 500,000 government employees would undergo drug tests.

According to the government official, the rate of drug use decreased to 1.7% in 2021, down from 8% in 2019.

Oh news, they say that there are drugs in it. This is why


I am loyal to half of the dark chocolate production in Egypt, and put it in coffee, too.

— iman elshamy (@imanelshamy1) April 4, 2022

Chocolate imported with poppy seeds, which was announced by Dr. Gaber Nassar, Dean of Cairo University, and the proportion of poppies is 4.2%, so beware and warn your children pic.twitter.com/gdPeeFgatS

— Mohamed Saber (@Mohamed85442379) April 5, 2022