ILLICIT drugs in use at the present show substances containing precursor chemicals with alcohol content levels up to 50 to 100 times higher than other drugs, MPs say.

Dr Joseph Mhagama (Madaba), chairman of the Governance, Constitution, and Legal Affairs standing committee of the National Assembly, made this observation when presenting the committee's annual report on its activities yesterday.

A variant of new psychoactive substances (NPS) is especially noticeable, he said, to which the committee has proposed that the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) collaborate with other institutions to control the sale of precursor chemicals used to prepare such drugs.

Pointing at the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA), the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and the Medical Stores Department (MSD), he said the DCEA succeeded in preventing the importation of 157,738.55 kilograms of precursor chemicals and seized 22,682 liters of such chemicals in the January to September period last year.

The challenge of increased use of NPS is that it has a much higher drug content level compared to internationally controlled drugs, leading to severe health issues and various diseases, he said.

Such diseases include addiction, mental health problems, heart disease, depression, seizures and sudden deaths among users, he said.

He further appealed to the government to ensure education is provided regarding the existence of NPS and harmful effects of these chemicals.

Government agencies like TBS, TMDA and MSD need to cooperate in controlling the diversion of chemicals and medicines being used contrary to intended purposes, he said.

There is also a need to increase the budget for the regulatory authorities to set up treatment centers and psychological support services for drug addicts at the regional level, he further noted.

Strengthening the control of drug importation in the country needs modern systems in transportation and cargo offloading areas, he said.

He urged that the presidential legal aid campaign supported by civil society organizations (CSOs) reach out to all citizens, particularly those in rural areas.

The government similarly needs to enable the Law Reform Commission by allocating development funds to carry out research on laws before they are drafted and tabled in the legislature, he said.

On a different note, he said that the government should coordinate the creation of a unified tax payment system (e-taxation) for investors and traders in the country.

There should be a single business licensing system in the country for local and foreign investors coordinated by the Tanzania Investment Center, he added.