Drug problem in Thailand
One of the most difficult problems in Thailand is the drug problem. Almost daily to see and read in the media.
Known in the "Golden Triangle" was the opium trade. Admittedly addressed, but never eradicated. An easier product later became hemp cultivation, also known in the Netherlands. It is also known in both countries that they were used as transit countries. Thailand to Singapore and Malaysia; Netherlands to Belgium and France.
Although yaba and ya ice are widely used in Thailand, a new problem has now arisen. Many drugs are now synthetically formulated with new raw materials, making it more difficult to prove that they are drugs, but also what dangerous effects they have on users. The formulators have a certain "scientific" edge over the drug fighters, because it is not known what chemical agents have been used and what processing they have had. That is why the Minister of Justice Prajin Jungton proposes to build a laboratory for the analysis of the chemical substances and also to gain knowledge about the composition of the drug-related products. This also means that unknown used substances are stored in the laboratory's databases.
In this way, unknown, so “legal” means can also be tackled. Because the turnover is billions, criminals will always keep looking for new means and methods and will therefore keep a certain lead over those who fight them, at the expense of the many victims and social damage.
Yaba use, in my opinion, is mainly a socio-economic drug problem.
People mainly use it to be able to continue longer, so they can perform several jobs and generate more income. If the wealth were more fairly distributed and people were paid better, I think a lot less yaba would be used.
The biggest problem with the proliferation of drugs lies in combating it.
The small, often underage (under 18) drug runners are not consistently arrested, but released after paying a small “fine”, and never see the inside of the court.
As a result, the fine-meshed drug network remains intact.
If those boys (and girls) were all picked off the streets and sentenced, after a huge spike in "reform schools" there would soon be a steep drop in drug use because it's harder to come by.
Not that Thailand has so much space in the reform schools, then they would have to build a few more.
I'm sorry, Ruud, but that's not true. It is precisely the small traffickers and drug users who make up 60-70% of Thailand's prison population. And then there are the education camps.
It is the big producers and traders who are not arrested. .
The fact that most of the prison is full of drug users does not detract from my story.
That only proves how big the drug problem is in Thailand, or how heavy the penalties are, if you are indeed convicted.
A 20-year-old boy I know got 2,5 years for possession of 16 pills.
That's how you get the prisons full, I think.
Why he didn't have 14 pills with him escapes me somewhat, because I thought that the limit between personal use and trade is 15 pills.
But those 15 pills may be different per police station.
I admit that without the production of drugs there is no drug problem.
But that is a difficult problem to solve, because it is impossible to solve anywhere in the world.
Young people buying their freedom just happens.
I see that regularly.
Picked up with drugs and home a few hours later and you don't get that for free.
Stop fighting! The war on drugs is long lost!! Good information, education and a fairer income offer alternatives to get children off the streets. Picking up and locking just opens up a new market for trading. Despite the hefty sentences in the worst Thai prisons, Thailand cannot solve the drug problem. Time to change tack if you ask me; I will always keep my respect for the Thai "way of life@ and I don't have a monopoly on wisdom either, but you always see no elimination of drug problems.
And what about legalizing all drugs?
Alcohol is a dangerous and addictive drug and it is legal !!
But yes, then the entire legal system will fall apart and a lot of people will lose prestige and their jobs…
Legalize all drugs – and preferably free of charge, because everyone should be able to benefit from them.
That seems like a nice way to make humanity die out.
Think of facebook as a drug (and probably being on facebook all day is like taking drugs)
Then look around you in the world, how many heavy addicts are walking around the world.
Oh dear. I drink beer.
Now I'm a drug user according to you…?
Yes, alcohol is a drug. According to some definitions, actually a hard drug. If alcohol had been discovered today, it would have been prohibited.
At Dutch secondary schools, the children are taught about various drugs, both soft and HSRD, and what the pros and cons of all those drugs are. I still remember that alcohol is actually a hard drug but socially accepted and therefore there is discussion about it.
“Is alcohol a hard drug? Yes, especially in large quantities it is a genuine hard drug”.
https://www.drugsinfo.nl/publiek/vraag-en-antwoord/resultaten/antwoord/?vraag=10774
I'm addicted too. On weekends and occasionally during the week I also have a few glasses of delicious beer, sometimes Malibu-Cola. 🙂
Of course you use drugs. It's not because a drug is legal it isn't a drug. I think everyone agrees that tobacco, and more specifically nicotine, is a highly addictive drug.
For example, cannabis is legal in some countries and illegal in others. In many countries Alcohol is viewed from a completely different point of view than in the Netherlands.
In the US Drinking alcohol in public ie on a terrace in some states is completely not done and sometimes completely prohibited.
We think Alcohol is quite pleasant and generally accepted, but it is not an innocent substance at all and just a hard drug that claims millions of deaths every year. In most scientific studies, the classification of Alcohol is not pretty.
Of course there are many people who handle Alcohol very responsibly (the majority) but that is also the case for other drugs. The majority of users are equally responsible with XTC Coke and certainly cannabis.
https://www.jellinek.nl/vraag-antwoord/welke-drug-is-de-gevaarlijkste/
A global and global health campaign has been successfully launched to curb nicotine use. With great consequence. Even in Thailand it is no longer tolerated that eg in public buildings. in public areas and in restaurants is tolerated. Having and using an e-cigarette is also severely punished. Such a campaign should also apply to alcohol consumption. I am strongly in favor of limiting the consumption of nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, etc. to one's own private and domestic circle. So is religion. Strictly punish dealing in hard drugs.