Pubdate: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 Source: Nation, The (Thailand) Copyright: 2015 Nation Multimedia Group Contact: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1963 Author: Ken Albertsen REFORM OF ANTI-DRUG LAWS LONG OVERDUE Reading the article "Punishments for drug offences to be reviewed" was like grabbing a cup of water after a long slog through a desert. How many young people's lives have been unfairly ruined by the draconian drug laws in Thailand and other Southeast Asian bureaucracies tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands? Thailand's drug laws follow those of the US note for note. America is slowly getting reasonable on that topic, but I'm surprised Thailand is following just by months instead of years. Recently some of the strictest archconservative Americans met and realised what reasonable people have known for a long time: The "war on drugs" can only be lost. There are much more effective ways of curtailing drug use than killing or harshly punishing users and mules. I'm glad Thailand's leaders are coming around, albeit belatedly, to a modicum of reason. Ken Albertsen Chiang Rai - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom