ASEAN urged to end punitive drug laws

Civil society groups across Southeast Asia have called on Asean to move away from punitive drug policies and adopt harm reduction measures as the bloc drafts a new post-2025 strategy.

At the "Drugs Community Forum" held in Bangkok on Tuesday, hosted by the Health & Opportunity Network and its partners, campaigners warned that Asean's longstanding "drug-free" approach had failed to deliver sustainable results.

They argued that a health-centred, evidence-based strategy would better protect communities and address the realities of drug use in the region.