Contemporary Asian drug policy : insights and opportunities for change / Bryce Pardo, Beau Kilmer, Wenjing Huang.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pardo, Bryce, author.

Kilmer, Beau, author.

Huang, Wenjing, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Drug control--Asia.

Drug control.

Other Title:

Contemporary Asian Drug Policy

Summary:

Changing patterns in drug use and supply can affect the well-being and development of Asian countries in many ways: The burden of disease from injection drug use, overreliance on the criminal justice system, and rise of drug-related crime can impede economic, environmental, and social development. Historically, countries in Asia have addressed illicit drug use and supply with harsh punishments, including compulsory treatment and the death penalty. The region has long espoused the goal of creating a drug-free society, a goal that has been abandoned in other parts of the globe for being infeasible. This report describes the illicit drug policy landscape for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) + 3 countries (China, Japan, and South Korea), which account for about 30 percent of the world's population. The authors also present three case studies on the shifting drug and drug policy landscape in Asia: (1) the violent crackdown on drug users and sellers in the Philippines, (2) Thailand's move from a similar crackdown toward an alternative approach of reducing criminal sanctions for drug use and improving access to medication treatment and needle exchange, and (3) China's emergence as a major source of many new chemical precursors and drugs that are exported outside Asia.

Contents:

Introduction

Drug Use and Drug-Related Disease

Drug and Precursor Chemical Production

Drug Policies in Asia

Case Studies

Recommendations for Improving Research and Policies in the Region.