THE NATION: Drug control polic (r)

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

June 4, 1998


                                     



                     NARCOTICS / WRONG APPROACH

              Drug control
              policies rejected as
              oppressive and
              unlawful

              Aphaluck Bhatiasevi

              Narcotics control policies enforced in many Asian countries fail
              to reflect real conditions and can be counter-productive, a
              United Nations Aids workshop was told yesterday.

              Instead of supporting changes in behaviour, drug policies often
              breach declarations on human rights and the rights of children,
              said Adrian Reynolds, a former World Health Organisation
              official.

              "Many countries adopt harsh, repressive and cruel drug policies,"
              said Mr Reynolds, who was a consultant for Queensland,
              Australia.

              Evidence in many countries suggested that "war against Aids"
              campaigns did more harm and caused more suffering than
              reducing the drugs problem.

              Mr Reynolds said authorities in Hong Kong, the United
              Kingdom and the Netherlands had been far more successful in
              reducing drug use through harm reduction, which involves
              programmes such as needle exchanges.

              Jennifer Grey, who heads a needle exchange programme in the
              North, said Thailand's success in eradicating poppy cultivation
              had led hilltribes to switch from opium smoking to intravenous
              heroin consumption.

              The traditional use of opium for medication and relaxation among
              hilltribes has shifted to the consumption of injecting heroin from
              neighbouring countries, said Ms Grey, who has been working in
              the region for six years.

              As a result, hilltribes were at greater risk of HIV infection, said
              Ms Grey, principal policy officer of the Sydney-based Illicit
              Drugs and Health Unit.

              Problems of drug use should be examined beyond the scope of
              law enforcement, she said, suggesting authorities concerned pay
              attention to the social and health consequences of drug abuse.

              Government action against drug abuse rarely involved
              communities, which could be more effective, and since the issue
              is sensitive culturally and politically, the major challenge is to
              establish harm reduction programmes.

              Needle exchange programmes had proven successful in reducing
              HIV/Aids infection among intravenous drug-users, said Ms
              Grey, while methadone treatment maintenance had reduced
              dependence significantly.

              Wayne Bazant, of the UN Drugs Control Programme,
              emphasised the importance of involving youth. To tackle the
              problems, authorities had to work with young people rather than
              for them, said Mr Bazant of the East Asia Regional Centre.

              Paul Deany, of Asia Harm Reduction Network's Chiang Mai
              office, said it was dangerous to think that HIV spreads among
              one group of drug-users because most intravenous drug-users
              are sexually active and could spread sexually transmitted
              diseases to the general population.

              The workshop, attended by Aids and youth issues experts from
              Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the
              Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand, is stressing the
              role young people can play.

              Seri Phongphit, leader of the UN Aids' Asia-Pacific Intercountry
              team, said little importance was attached to the contribution
              young people could make.

              "Instead of just telling them what should be done, we have to
              listen to them because their norms are different from what ours
              were when we were young," he added.




                                     




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