MAKING LIFE TOUGHER FOR DRUG DEALERS

Methamphetamines, or yaa baa (crazy drug) as they are known more
colourfully locally, have been identified as the leading threat to
society and the security of our nation. This is no overstatement. The
statistics put the number of methamphetamine users at 2.7 million,
give or take, including some 300,000 habitual users. This should leave
no doubt as to the seriousness of the drug problem.

Apart from the domestic abuse problem, there is the huge amount of
money, estimated at several billion baht a year, which flows into the
coffers of the criminals behind the drug trade, ranging from the Wa
producers of the speed pills in the hills of Burma to the hilltribe
smugglers and major traffickers, and on to the small-time dealer in
every city slum and backstreet alley.

Efforts aimed at stemming the flow of drugs from inside Burma have met
with little success. It is estimated that less than 10% of the drugs
being produced, at between 700 and 800 million pills this year, is
intercepted. This is hardly inspiring, and the success rate will be
even less encouraging now the traffickers are using more couriers,
each carrying a smaller amount of pills.

The police can hardly boast of success in their battle with the drug
dealers in our cities, especially against the small-time dealers who
are the last link in the lucrative drug trade chain. These small fry
seem to be everywhere. Narcotics officers say no community is immune
from this menace.

The amendment bill passed by the Senate on Monday with certain
reservations is targetted at these small dealers. It legislates for
anyone caught with 15 or more speed pills to be dealt with as a dealer
liable to harsh penalties. Some senators wanted to make things even
tougher by classifying anyone with as few as three pills a dealer. The
present law classifies a dealer as someone in possession of 800
tablets or 20 grammes of methamphetamines.

The amended law will strengthen the hand of authorities in dealing
with small-time dealers. Their job also will be made easier by the
amendment which would help them to distinguish between drug dealers
and users. Anyone caught in possession with less than 15 pills will be
charged not with intent to sell but with possessing drugs for personal
consumption.

All of this is a move in the right direction but there will be room
for concern if the amendment bill further reduces the number of speed
pills -- say to three, as suggested by some senators -- which would
qualify a person as a dealer. If this were introduced, many habitual
users who, according to narcotics officers consume 3-5 tablets a day
on average, would be treated as dealers and end up in prison instead
of receiving rehabilitation. A similar fate will befall young addicts
who sell drugs to their classmates to support their own habit. Our
prisons could very quickly be bursting at the seams.

There is also the grim prospect of abuse of power by rogue police.
Complaints are made time and again of officers who "find"
methamphetamines on a suspect's body or at their home and then extort
money in exchange for dropping charges. Many more perfectly innocent
people will be victimised by crooked police if the possession of just
3-5 pills is enough to convict someone of being a drug dealer.

The intentions of the senators to make life a lot tougher for the
small-time dealers is greatly appreciated, but the need to care for
and rehabilitate tens of thousands of addicts must not be overlooked.
We should not deprive those who stray marginally from the path the
chance to lead a productive life and contribute to society. We would
be better concentrating on trying to reduce the demand for drugs,
especially among the young.