Research on the Trends in Drug Abuse and Effective Measures for the Treatment of the Drug Abusers in Asian Countries
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RESEARCH ON THE TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE AND EFFECTIVE MEASURES FOR THE TREATMENT OF THE DRUG ABUSERS IN ASIAN COUNTRIES AN ANALYSIS OF INNOVATIVE MEASURES FOR THE TREATMENT OF DRUG ABUSERS PREFACE Crimes related to drug abuse and the illegal manufacturing and trafficking of drugs are seri- ous problems for virtually every country. The abuse of drugs has an adverse impact, not only on the individual abuser, but also on the economy and society of a country as a whole. Drug use and the problems that accompany it have an extremely deleterious effect on the healthy development of young people, especially. Due to the rapid increase in drug related crime and drug abusers in Asian countries, the establishment of effective countermeasures for demand and supply reduction are a pressing issue. In light of the above-mentioned situation, the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI); and the Research Division of the Research and Training Institute, Ministry of Justice jointly conducted a com- prehensive study on drug abuser treatment, from 2002 to 2004, entitled “Research on the Trends in Drug Abuse and Effective Measures for the Treatment of the Drug Abusers in Asian Countries - An Analysis of Innovative Measures for the Treatment of Drug Abusers”. The Asian countries included in the study are: China (Hong Kong), Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. This is the first phase of the study on drug abuser treatment; the sec- ond phase, which begun last year, will cover Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. UNAFEI is a United Nations regional institute, established in 1961 by agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Japan, with the aim of promoting the sound develop- ment of criminal justice systems and mutual cooperation in the world. The three main activi- ties of UNAFEI are to hold training courses and seminars for personnel in crime prevention and criminal justice; to conduct research into crime prevention and treatment of offenders; and to provide various forms of technical assistance for the improvement of criminal justice. This volume is a summary of the first phase which includes the following issues as they relate to the respective countries: (1) an outline of study; (2) trends of the most abused drugs; (3) an outline of regulations and sanctions related to drug control and drug abuser treatment; (4) an outline of policy regarding drug abuse prevention and drug abuser treatment; (5) an outline of agencies and organizations involved in drug related problems; and (6) an outline of innova- tive measures for the treatment of drug abusers in the respective countries. This volume also includes major statutes and regulations relating to the suppression of drug supply and treat- ment of drug abusers and the questionnaire for this study as reference materials. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the following personnel who have supported this study: the Commissioner of the Correctional Services Department (China, Hong Kong); the Director-General, Correction Bureau and the Director-General, Social Protection and Rehabilitation Bureau, Ministry of Justice (Republic of Korea); the Director-General, Malaysia Prisons Department, and the Director, National Narcotics Agency, Ministry of Interior (Malaysia); the Director of Singapore Prison Service, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Director, Rehabilitation and Protection, Ministry of Community Development and Sports (Singapore); and the Director-General, Department of Corrections and the Director-General, Department of Probation, Ministry of Justice (Thailand). Because of a limitation of time, we have had to limit this volume to a summary of our research findings. Nevertheless, we believe that this research will provide a valuable resource for understanding the drug problems and current situation of abuser treatment in the respec- tive Asian countries. We welcome readers’ comments and further enquiries on the contents of this paper (e-mail: [email protected]). Kunihiko Sakai Director, UNAFEI Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan March 2005 CONTENTS PREFACE CHAPTER 1 AN OUTLINE OF THE STUDY SECTION 1 THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY........................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 2. Purpose.................................................................................................................................. 2 (1) Searching For Effective Preventive Systems for Recidivism of Drug Abusers ............. 2 (2) Provision of Useful Information and Suggestions on Countermeasures for Drug Abusers in Southeast Asian Countries and Japan ............................................ 3 (3) Creating a Database on Drug Abuse Countermeasures in Southeast Asian Countries and Japan ........................................................................................................ 3 SECTION 2 METHOD OF STUDY............................................................................................. 4 1. Countries and Region Surveyed .............................................................................................. 4 2. Survey by Questionnaire ......................................................................................................... 4 (1) The Contents of the Questionnaire .................................................................................. 4 (2) Addressee’s Agencies/Organizations to which the Questionnaires were sent................ 5 (3) Field Research ................................................................................................................. 6 SECTION 3 CONTENTS OF THE PRESENT REPORT ............................................................ 7 1. English Version........................................................................................................................ 7 2. Japanese Version...................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2 TRENDS OF THE MOST ABUSED DRUGS IN THE RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES SECTION 1 GENERAL TREND OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY ABUSED DRUGS.................................................................................................... 9 SECTION 2 PROPERTIES, ABUSE METHODS, AND ACCESSORY SYMPTOMS OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY ABUSED DRUGS............................................ 12 1. Opioids (opium, heroin, and morphine).............................................................................. 12 2. ATS (methamphetamine, amphetamine and MDMA) ........................................................ 12 3. Cannabis.............................................................................................................................. 14 4. Volatile Substances.............................................................................................................. 14 5. Others .................................................................................................................................. 15 SECTION 3 TREATMENTS FOR DRUG ABUSERS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ABUSED DRUGS ...................................................... 16 1. Outline of the Treatments for Drug Dependents ................................................................. 16 2. Pharmacotherapy for Opioids Dependence......................................................................... 17 3. Risks of Opioids and ATS ................................................................................................... 17 — i — CHAPTER 3 AN OUTLINE OF REGULATIONS AND SANCTIONS RELATED TO DRUG CONTROL AND DRUG ABUSER TREATMENT I. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 19 II. Viewpoint of Analysis......................................................................................................... 19 III. Overview of Drugs Control Laws and Regulations: from the Viewpoint of Supply Reduction ............................................................................................................................ 20 A. Strict Penalisation of the Supply of Controlled Drugs.................................................. 20 B. Presupposition Clause ................................................................................................... 20 C. Corporal Punishment..................................................................................................... 21 D. Other Laws and Regulations for Drug Supply Reduction ............................................ 21 IV Overview of Drugs Control Laws and Regulations: from the Viewpoint of Demand Reduction.......................................................................................................... 21 A. Punishment Clause........................................................................................................ 21 B. Clauses Concerning Compulsory Treatment Systems .................................................. 22 1. Compulsory Treatment System................................................................................ 22 2. Fundamental Laws and Regulations Justify Compulsory Treatment ..................... 22 3. Procedure for Implementation of Compulsory Treatment........................................23 (i) Relationship between Criminal Procedure and Procedure for Compulsory Treatment.............................................................................