reader Posted November 6, 2023 Posted November 6, 2023 From Thai PBS World Given the huge difference between penalties for abuse of methamphetamine and for selling the drug, the government’s plan to classify people convicted of possessing more than five methamphetamine tablets as drug traders is a big deal. “We have set this cap based on academic findings by relevant authorities,” Public Health Ministry acting permanent secretary Dr Kittisak Agsornwong said recently. The five-pill classification was deemed reasonable by relevant agencies – including the Medical Services Department, Mental Health Department, Food and Drug Administration, Medical Sciences Department, Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), Council of State, Royal Thai Police, and Office of the Attorney-General – at a meeting last Friday. The next step is to present the plan to Public Health Minister Dr Cholnan Srikaew, who had previously proposed a 10-pill cap. If the five-pill plan gets the green light, it will be passed into law as a ministerial regulation. Thailand has been fighting the scourge of narcotics for decades. Authorities have declared several so-called wars on drugs, but meaningful victory remains elusive. The Mental Health Department estimates that 2-2.5 million Thais abuse narcotics. Around 100,000 have entered rehabilitation programs in hospitals while others have received therapy at community clinics or private facilities. The youngest person to enter a state hospital for drug treatment so far was just 12 years old. More than two-thirds of inmates in Thailand are behind bars because of drug-related convictions. In other words, over 200,000 (204,147) of the total 271,967 convicted prisoners in Thailand’s notoriously overcrowded jails are serving time for offenses committed under the Narcotics Act. Continues at https://www.thaipbsworld.com/five-pill-policy-examining-thailands-latest-push-in-decades-long-drugs-war/ alvnv and TMax 2 Quote
