In Chile, deputies had to undergo a drug test and publish the results

In Chile, 75 members of Congress underwent drug testing in order to «detect any possible parliamentary links to drug trafficking.».

This unusual measure comes after the approval, on July 13, of a bill regulating the use of drugs and narcotics by sitting members of parliament.

A random drawing determined which lawmakers were required to undergo a hair drug test designed to detect the presence of THC, cocaine, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, methamphetamines, and opioids.

Members of Congress who use drugs for medical purposes obviously had the opportunity to disclose this information in advance.

Mixed reviews

According to El País, the members of the Broad Front, the party to which progressive President Gabriel Boric belongs, acknowledged that they were «between a rock and a hard place, because rejecting the bill could have been interpreted as an anti-transparency stance.».

Among the lawmakers in favor, Juan Antonio Coloma, of the conservative Independent Democratic Union (UDI) party, stated: «If there are lawmakers who use drugs, it’s because they buy them, and if they buy them, they can be blackmailed by their suppliers.».

On the other side of the aisle is Representative Jaime Sáez of the Frente Amplio, the Democratic Revolution Party. Sáez is one of the officials who was selected by lottery and has already stated that he uses recreational cannabis under medical supervision.

«I hope that after this media spectacle, there will be an in-depth debate that will allow us to regulate cannabis use in Chile. »About five million Chileans use cannabis. We are neither drug addicts, nor mentally ill, nor criminals,” he said.

What are the results?

According to La Tercera, an official document states that of the 75 members of parliament who were required to take the mandatory test, all tested negative.

«None of them showed any violation of the rules prohibiting the abuse of narcotic or psychotropic substances or drugs,» he said.

However, three members of Congress did not take the test: Marisela Santibáñez (PC), Clara Sagardía (IND-Frente Amplio), and Jorge Durán (RN).

While Santibáñez and Sagardía filed a petition for protection against the regulation on drug testing (along with three other members of Congress), Durán was out of the country.

As a result, all three will be required to appear before the Assembly’s Ethics Committee.

For their part, the lawmakers who filed the petition for relief assert that this new regulation «violates their fundamental rights, such as the physical and psychological integrity of individuals and the respect for and protection of privacy.».

The tests for the remaining 77 members of the National Assembly are expected to take place in the coming weeks.