Towards humane drug policies in Asia

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Towards humane drug policies in Asia

2 January 2018

By Peter Sarosi

A report from a drug policy conference in Macau, where we visited a high-tech methadone clinic, a drop-in centre, and interviewed many brave Asian activists who are working on reducing the harms of drug use and drug laws.

Macau is a former Portuguese colony near Hong Kong, it was returned to China in 1999 but remained an autonomous territory. While gambling is illegal in mainland China, it is legal in Macau, and the town is full of big casinos attracting millions of gamblers every year. This is not only the most densely populated area in the world – it has the highest GDP as well. However, there are social and health problems attached to this vibrant urban way of life: behavioural and drug dependences, risk taking in relation to sex, and drug use.

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Thumbnail: CC Flickr Recoverling