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THE NATION: Drug control polic (r)
- Subject: THE NATION: Drug control polic (r)
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 04 Jun 1998 19:49:00
June 4, 1998
NARCOTICS / WRONG APPROACH
Drug control
policies rejected as
oppressive and
unlawful
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
Narcotics control policies enforced in many Asian countries fail
to reflect real conditions and can be counter-productive, a
United Nations Aids workshop was told yesterday.
Instead of supporting changes in behaviour, drug policies often
breach declarations on human rights and the rights of children,
said Adrian Reynolds, a former World Health Organisation
official.
"Many countries adopt harsh, repressive and cruel drug policies,"
said Mr Reynolds, who was a consultant for Queensland,
Australia.
Evidence in many countries suggested that "war against Aids"
campaigns did more harm and caused more suffering than
reducing the drugs problem.
Mr Reynolds said authorities in Hong Kong, the United
Kingdom and the Netherlands had been far more successful in
reducing drug use through harm reduction, which involves
programmes such as needle exchanges.
Jennifer Grey, who heads a needle exchange programme in the
North, said Thailand's success in eradicating poppy cultivation
had led hilltribes to switch from opium smoking to intravenous
heroin consumption.
The traditional use of opium for medication and relaxation among
hilltribes has shifted to the consumption of injecting heroin from
neighbouring countries, said Ms Grey, who has been working in
the region for six years.
As a result, hilltribes were at greater risk of HIV infection, said
Ms Grey, principal policy officer of the Sydney-based Illicit
Drugs and Health Unit.
Problems of drug use should be examined beyond the scope of
law enforcement, she said, suggesting authorities concerned pay
attention to the social and health consequences of drug abuse.
Government action against drug abuse rarely involved
communities, which could be more effective, and since the issue
is sensitive culturally and politically, the major challenge is to
establish harm reduction programmes.
Needle exchange programmes had proven successful in reducing
HIV/Aids infection among intravenous drug-users, said Ms
Grey, while methadone treatment maintenance had reduced
dependence significantly.
Wayne Bazant, of the UN Drugs Control Programme,
emphasised the importance of involving youth. To tackle the
problems, authorities had to work with young people rather than
for them, said Mr Bazant of the East Asia Regional Centre.
Paul Deany, of Asia Harm Reduction Network's Chiang Mai
office, said it was dangerous to think that HIV spreads among
one group of drug-users because most intravenous drug-users
are sexually active and could spread sexually transmitted
diseases to the general population.
The workshop, attended by Aids and youth issues experts from
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the
Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand, is stressing the
role young people can play.
Seri Phongphit, leader of the UN Aids' Asia-Pacific Intercountry
team, said little importance was attached to the contribution
young people could make.
"Instead of just telling them what should be done, we have to
listen to them because their norms are different from what ours
were when we were young," he added.
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