New Delhi, Aug 7 - Peddlers of spurious drugs can now be sentenced to life terms, parliament was informed Friday.

'Short of capital punishment, everything that is possible under the law will be done to stamp out the circulation of spurious drugs,' Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said during question hour in the Rajya Sabha.

'I have signed the papers yesterday (Thursday). The new law will be notified within a week,' Azad added.

'So far, the law was very mild. No action could be taken against those who were caught. Now there will be special courts to fast track trials. Up to life imprisonment can be awarded to those who manufacture and sell spurious drugs,' the minister maintained.

Replying to a supplementary, he said the creation of a Central Drug Authority (CDA) was the 'second step' in tightening the noose around manufacturers and peddlers of spurious drugs.