Pubdate: Wed, 07 Jan 2015
Source: Nation, The (Thailand)
Copyright: 2015 Nation Multimedia Group
Contact:  http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1963
Author: Ken Albertsen

REFORM OF ANTI-DRUG LAWS LONG OVERDUE

Reading the article "Punishments for drug offences to be reviewed" 
was like grabbing a cup of water after a long slog through a desert. 
How many young people's lives have been unfairly ruined by the 
draconian drug laws in Thailand and other Southeast Asian 
bureaucracies  tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands? 
Thailand's drug laws follow those of the US note for note. America is 
slowly getting reasonable on that topic, but I'm surprised Thailand 
is following just by months instead of years.

Recently some of the strictest archconservative Americans met and 
realised what reasonable people have known for a long time: The "war 
on drugs" can only be lost. There are much more effective ways of 
curtailing drug use than killing or harshly punishing users and 
mules. I'm glad Thailand's leaders are coming around, albeit 
belatedly, to a modicum of reason.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai
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