The Justice Ministry is considering a proposal to remove yaba, or methamphetamine pills, from Thailand’s list of narcotics drugs, leading us to believe that they’ve never seen how absolutely insane people look and act when they are on the deadly speed pills.
In a meeting yesterday on narcotic policy, Justice Minister Paiboon Kumchaya noted that, 28 years into Thailand’s war on narcotics drugs, more people than ever are hooked on drugs and that the country has not won the war.
His hope is that, if yaba is no longer listed as a narcotic drug, more addicts will seek treatment to try to recover from their addiction.
However, not everyone agrees. Some experts believe that declassifying yaba will only lead to increased use.
According to Bangkok Post, declassifying yaba will mean that it isn’t a crime for anyone to be in possession of the drug.
Taking too much yaba can cause insomnia, hallucinations, intense confusion and skyrocketing blood pressure. Those that quit taking it suddenly become tired, ill-tempered and depressed and could suffer from heart problems or even suicide, due to an altered mental state.
Paiboon added that, since the country can’t win the war on drugs, they should try to “co-exist” with narcotics. He went on to make the strange analogy of the country’s drug problem being like a man with incurable cancer. You can’t beat it, so have to try and find some happiness living with it, according to Thai PBS.
The justice minister wants to see changes to Thailand’s drug laws that would allow the courts to use case-by-case analysis to sentence addicts to treatment or rehab centers instead of prison when they see fit.
Under current law, some addicted prisoners can be given treatment but many aren’t. Also, anyone found in possession of more than 15 pills of yaba is tried in the same manner as large-scale drug dealers.
Paiboon finished his surprising presentation by announcing that the medical science community believes that methamphetamines are less hazardous to people’s health than cigarettes or booze but that we’ve just been taught to accept those vices.
He’s got controversial views but at least he’s got people talking about this important issue.
