Asia is still just saying no to drugs

Prohibition may be falling out of fashion in the West, but Singapore and its neighbours remain fierce advocates
The Economist (UK)
Saturday, January 14, 2017

philippines drug lordHarsh penalties for drug offences are common across Asia. The sorts of alternatives now favoured in the West, such as diverting addicts to effective treatment programmes instead of trying them and saddling them with criminal records, are virtually non-existent. Several countries require drug offenders to enter rehabilitation programmes, but these are often like prison. Asia’s harsh anti-drug policies are falling out of step with the rest of the world. Heroin is available on prescription in several European countries. The rich world increasingly treats addiction as an illness rather than a crime. These trends have Asia’s drug warriors worried. (Cambodia: Drug campaign nets 1,000)