Meth trafficking has exploded throughout Asia despite hardline laws

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Meth trafficking has exploded throughout Asia despite hardline laws

29 May 2015

Methamphetamine seizures in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania have exploded in recent years, nearly quadrupling from some 11 tons in 2008 to 42 tons in 2013, according to a report released Tuesday by the United Nations' Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). From highly pure crystal meth that fetches prices as high as $800 per gram in South Korea to diluted tablets that costs only $1.50 each in Vietnam, the three regions together now make up the largest market in the world for amphetamine-type stimulants, which is dominated by meth.

"This significant increase might be partly the result of effective law enforcement measures, but also points to expanding production and trafficking to and through the region," remarked Tun Nay Soe, East Asia program coordinator for the UN's Global SMART Program, which monitors synthetic drugs. "Unfortunately, the preliminary data we have received for the past year indicates that supply and demand have continued to rise for both types of methamphetamine."

Drug policy experts say that hardline laws in many Asian nations are not helping to curtail problematic drug use there. In Southeast Asia, the regional bloc ASEAN has insisted on a plan to make their countries "drug free," a fanciful goal that other countries have slowly moved away from. Meanwhile, states like Indonesia continue to execute alleged traffickers, including numerous foreigners, for drug crimes.

Sou conceded that data for Asia is far from perfect, and that seizures do not necessarily translate into local drug use. Gloria Lai, the Bangkok-based senior policy officer at the International Drug Policy Consortium, told VICE News that UNODC's focus on seizures and overall statistics detracts attention from what advocates say should be the primary focus of interventions: public health.

"The greater concern is that even if such data were verifiable, it does not show the consequence of such drug markets for security, social well-being, and the health of communities in the region," she said. "The report notes the numbers of people accessing drug treatments, but not the quality and effectiveness of such drug treatment services."

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