Record drug seizures, falling retail prices and overcrowded prisons expose the failure of punitive drug control across South-East Asia and strengthen the case for decriminalisation.
The law imposes mandatory prison sentences on people repeatedly charged for drug use, deepening poverty and marginalisation, while failing to address health issues.
NAPUD explains how people who use drugs can identify their priorities and advocate for their inclusion in Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 funding requests and budgets.
The REFORM project demonstrated how community leadership, legal empowerment and media engagement can create mutually reinforcing pathways to advance health and rights-based drug policies.
Marking Support. Don’t Punish 2026, IDPC and partners host a regional discussion on progress towards decriminalisation, highlighting reform opportunities grounded in health, human rights and community leadership.
Criminal penalties for drug use and possession continue to drive prison overcrowding and coercive treatment in Thailand, undermining health, dignity and access to care.
Community-led harm reduction education in the Philippines seeks to replace fear-based drug narratives with evidence, empathy and respect for the rights of people who use drugs.
Witzel et al. highlight the need for harm reduction, legal support and drug policy reform responses tailored to the realities of this specific sexualised drug use practice in Thailand.
