“หากจะคิดถึงอนาคต ความฝัน แล้วจะรู้ว่าเราไม่เหลืออะไรเลย” ซิดดิ บูซิด ชายหนุ่มผู้หนึ่งได้กล่าวไว้ถึงชีวิตความเป็นอยู่ของเมืองในประเทศตูนิเซียที่ถือเป็นจุดเริ่มของการประท้วง อาหรับสปริง ที่แทบจะไม่ได้ช่วยให้มีการเปลี่ยนแปลงอะไรเลยตั้งแต่ยุคผู้นำเผด็จการ ซีน เอล แอบีดีน เบน อาลี ได้ถูกขับไล่ออกจากประเทศตั้งแต่ปี 2011 อัตราการว่างงานมีสูงยิ่งกว่าที่เคยมีมาก่อนการลุกฮือของเหตุการณณ์อาหรับสปริง คนวัยหนุ่มสาวตกอยู่ในสถานการณ์ที่ลำบากที่สุด ซึ่งสามารถอธิบายได้จากจำนวนของคนที่เริ่มเข้าร่วมขบวนการ จิฮาดิสต์ สถานการณ์ที่ย่ำแย่นี้ยังนำให้กลุ่มวัยหนุ่มสาวอีกกลุ่มหันไปใช้ แซทล่า เป็นชื่อเรียกทางท้องถิ่นของกัญชา

การใช้กัญชาในประเทศตูนิเซีย มีความเสี่ยงสูงมาก ภายใต้บทกฎหมาย “บทที่52” ผู้ใดมีกัญชาไว้ครอบครองหรือไว้ใช้ จะได้รับบทลงโทษอย่างน้อย จำคุก 1 ปี ผู้ใดกระทำผิดซ้ำบทความผิดเดิม มีบทลงโทษถึง 5 ปี ผู้พิพากษาไม่สามารถใช้ดุลยพินิจในการพิจารณาบทลงโทษในการรับโทษให้เบาลง หรือ การเอาผิดแลลทางเลือกอื่นได้เลย ชายหนุ่มผู้นี้ได้กล่าวเพิ่มเติมว่า ส่วนใหญ่แล้วเพื่อนๆของเขาถูกจำคุกเนื่องจากสูบกัญชา

เพื่อรับข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับประเด็นที่เกี่ยวข้องกับนโยบายยาเสพติด

กรุณาดูด้านล่างสำหรับข้อมูลเพิ่มเติมเป็นภาษาอังกฤษ

“When we think about our future, our dreams, we have nothing,” says a young man in Sidi Bouzid. Life in the Tunisian town that launched the Arab spring has barely changed since the country’s old dictator, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, was ousted in 2011. Unemployment is even higher nationally than before the uprising. Young people are worst-off, which helps explain why an alarming number join jihadist groups. The frustration drives others, including this young man, to use 

Using cannabis in Tunisia, though, is risky. Under the country’s “Law 52”, anyone caught using or in possession of the drug receives a minimum sentence of one year in prison. Repeat offenders get up to five years. Judges have no discretion to consider the circumstances or to recommend other punishments. The young man says most of his friends have been locked up for getting high.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

ประเทศกลุ่มอาหรับบางแห่ง เริ่มพิจารณากฎหมายที่มีบทลงโทษที่รุนแรงที่เกี่ยวข้องกับกัญชา 

As President Trump demands federal funding for a border wall he promised Mexico would pay for, he has leaned heavily on the argument that the wall is the only way to stop illegal drugs from coming across the Southwest border.

“The Wall is a very important tool in stopping drugs from pouring into our country and poisoning our youth (and many others)!” the president tweeted this week. “If the wall is not built, which it will be, the drug situation will NEVER be fixed the way it should be!”

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

The No. 1 reason why Trump’s wall won’t fix the drug problem

At least 35 people were killed over the weekend in Mexico, according to local officials, amid a widespread surge in drug gang violence that has driven murders to a level not seen since 2011.

In Sinaloa state, 12 people were killed in different incidents since the early hours of Sunday, according to local officials.

Battles between gangs have increased in the area following the arrest last year of Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who was extradited in January to the United States.

Mexico: surge in drug gang violence leaves 35 dead in one weekend

As the highly potent opioid fentanyl continues to drive accidental overdose deaths in Canada, it seems increasingly important for people to be able to test the contents of their drugs – however, there are concerns this could have unintended consequences.

There is an ongoing crisis of fentanyl deaths across Canada. In the province of Alberta, the number of fatal fentanyl overdoses reached 343 deaths in 2016, an increase from 257 deaths in 2015. The drug contributed to 922 deaths in neighbouring British Columbia in 2016, leading to the province's health minister calling on the national government to "declare a federal public health emergency".

Calls for pre-use drug testing as Canada fentanyl deaths crisis worsens

Health Canada is moving to relax rules on importing drugs, such as pharmaceutical-grade heroin, knocking down yet another barrier to a last-resort addiction treatment amid a worsening overdose crisis.

Proposed changes to the federal Food and Drugs Regulations would allow for the bulk importation of drugs not currently marketed or available in Canada as needed in urgent public-health scenarios. While it would apply to public-health emergencies, such as a flu pandemic, federal Health Minister Jane Philpott introduced the legislation with the opioid crisis – and prescription heroin, specifically – in mind.

Health Canada proposes changes to rules on importing prescription heroin

The lawyer of self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato on Monday filed a complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte and 11 other government officials before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Lawyer Jude Sabio accused Duterte of being a "mass murderer" and asked the international court to prosecute him over his involvement in the so-called Davao Death Squad.

"Your favourable action on this matter would not only serve the noble ends of international criminal justice but would also be the beginning of the end of this dark, obscene, murderous and evil era in the Philippines," Sabio told the court in his cover letter.

Criminal case vs Duterte filed before International Criminal Court

Tunisia's parliament voted on Tuesday to ease the country's harsh law on drugs, in a move that could see offenders like youths caught smoking marijuana escape jail terms.

Tuesday's vote comes after the National Security Council headed by President Beji Caid Essebsi announced in March measures to limit the number of drug-users sent to prison.

Law 52, dating back to the rule of toppled dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, imposes a mandatory one-year jail sentence for narcotics use, ruling out any mitigating circumstances.

Tunisian parliament votes to ease harsh drug law

“I have been detained twice in four years- for consuming drugs”, says Daniel Sakiri, 54, a heroin drug user for 25 years. Sakiri says he becomes weak when he lacks drugs to inject. “We have no strength to work and have a bellyache which afterwards causes diarrhea. Then, we do not have any other choice than taking drugs”, he says. Sakiri also says he doesn’t know what to do to give up drugs. “Detaining us is not a good option to help us, but we really need treatment through medical prescription”, he says.

Mrs. Akimana, 20, another drug user for over two years, faces the same challenge. “It is not easy to have access to the serum for injection. Then, one serum is shared among five or six drug users with a risk of being contaminated with HIV/ AIDS or other infectious diseases”, she says. Akimana also says a drug box is very expensive. “A small quantity usable once costs BIF 5000 and we are compelled to steal or have sex for money”, she says.

Burundi: Drug users say they need medical prescription rather than being arrested

The new minister of health and quality of life, the Hon Dr Anwar Hushnoo has announced that he will re-introduce methadone substitution therapy after an evaluation of the harm reduction programmes in Mauritius. Civil society has applauded this decision, while at the same time hoping that it will be on board as a partner and not shunned as it was by the previous minister.

Mouvement Patriotique held a debate on Cannabis, which drew a crowd of about 300 people. Dr Ramkoosalsing, consultant psychiatrist explained that he changed his view on cannabis, and is now in favour of the decriminalisation of cannabis to counter the rise of synthetic drugs in Mauritius. Many people urged the MPs present to raise this issue in parliament, to start a debate at the highest level on cannabis legislation.

Meanwhile Uruguay announced the sale of cannabis as from July 2018, and South Africa has legalised cannabis for personal consumption.

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