Drug reform debates continue to fail in large part to the inflexibility of Russia and China
05/26/2016 / By Claire Rankin
The United National General Assembly special session on drugs (UNGASS) took place earlier this year, but proved disappointing for reform advocates on the whole. This was the first time in 18 years that such a high level meeting took place to debate drug policy. For many working on the issue it was an important opportunity to challenge the prohibition model and work towards reform. Yet, no actual changes were made, in large part due to the inflexibility of Russia and China.
However, the final outcome document adopted by all member states at the meeting contained some promising points including strong commitments to ensure access to controlled drugs for medical use, by targeting barriers in national legislation and regulations, with the aim of improving capacity, education and training, and affordability, all of which currently limit access to essential medicines.
Dr. Alex Wodak, a leading drug reform advocate from Australia made the comment that “The international consensus on drug prohibition came to an end. It cannot be revived. We are in a transition from a predominantly criminal justice approach to a more health and social approach. Most of Western Europe has made that transition. North America has started… and many countries in Central and South America are on the way.”
The health approach is now favored by many Western countries, where programs for a “harm reduction” of drug use such as methadone substitution for heroin and access to clean needles are the norm.
In contrast, countries in Asia still have a punitive approach, with the death penalty still the ultimate punishment in some Asian countries. Forced and arbitrary detentions, beatings, whipping, incarceration and hard labor is the harsh punishment meted out in some lands.
With the international agreement on global drug prohibition in tatters, the push for reform will move forward and intensify. “The status quo countries can delay the inevitable but not prevent it. We can expect to see more Asian countries start moving to reform in the next few years,” said Wodak. But he added: “There will always be a Singapore or two or three that will champion the hard line approach for decades to come.”
Sources:
http://thediplomat.com/2016/05/asias-war-on-drugs/
Tagged Under: drug reform, marijuana drug reform, punishment for cannabis in Asia, UNGASS
