Today, the National Assembly is considering and voting on first reading 18 bills for amendments to the Criminal Code, of which 11 were adopted.
Stricter sanctions were discussed for crimes involving vehicles, whose drivers are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or refuse a test in the event of an accident. Also, crimes such as the sale of alcohol, tobacco products, synthetic substances and "laughing gas" are planned to be criminalized under certain circumstances. Changes were also proposed to protect borrowers from aggressive actions by collection companies, as well as expanding the concept of “unavoidable defense“
In a bill submitted by the MP from “Vazrazhdane“ Tsveta Rangelova, on the other hand, proposed criminalizing the sale of alcohol, tobacco products, smokeless devices and laughing gas to minors, the party's press center reported.
“This bill was provoked by the unfortunate death of a minor child at the end of last year in the city of Pleven, who died tragically after using a smokeless device (VAPE) containing narcotic substances and illegally sold to the child.“, Rangelova said from the parliamentary rostrum.
After the tragic incident, she requested a report from the Blagoevgrad Regional Health Institute regarding inspections of commercial establishments related to the sale of dangerous substances, including laughing gas. The response states that for the period from January 1 to December 20, 2024. 583 inspections have been carried out, but not a single violation has been found.
„This is, to put it mildly, frivolous. Without questioning the conclusions of the RHI, I question the reliability of the inspections themselves and the possibility of information leakage from the control bodies to traders.“, she also emphasized.
According to the MP, administrative control is not sufficient and the penalties should be strict and effective, especially when it comes to children.
„Currently, the sale of alcohol, tobacco products and synthetic substances to minors is treated only as an administrative violation. We have come to the conclusion that we need to tighten the measures in order to try to save Bulgaria's children from these harmful substances.“
The draft law provides for an amendment to Art. 193, para. 2 of the Criminal Code. In addition to alcohol, the scope of the crime also includes tobacco and smokeless products, synthetic substances that are smoked, heated or vaporized, as well as nitrous oxide (laughing gas), when sold to a person under 18 years of age or to an insane person.
„We propose a penalty of imprisonment from 1 to 5 years and a fine from 3 to 5 thousand leva. By setting a lower limit on the punishment, we limit the possibility for the court to exempt from criminal liability and impose only a fine“, explained Rangelova.
According to her, this proposal aims at both personal and general prevention.
„If this text is adopted on second reading, there will be a clear message to all sellers who, in pursuit of profit, put the lives and health of our children on the back burner.“
The draft law has already received positive opinions from the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Justice.
„I believe that together we can limit the possibility of these prohibited substances being easily accessible and having a detrimental effect on the lives and health of our children“, concluded Tsveta Rangelova.
The People's Representative was also among the sponsors of a bill to increase penalties for crimes such as fornication, child abuse, and animal abuse, which was rejected.