Thailand Burns 34 Tonnes Of Contraband Drugs, Worth Bt221 Million

[Arkady]

So instead of showing an ID or Thai driver's license, they make all these formerly over the counter great products unavailable. That's like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Still we never see any Mr. Bigs being arrested, handcuffed, and charged. Amazing.

So instead of showing an ID or Thai driver's license, they make all these formerly over the counter great products unavailable. That's like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Still we never see any Mr. Bigs being arrested, handcuffed, and charged. Amazing.

Thai pharmacies are required by law to staff a licensed pharmacist to sell drugs and keep inventory. This is rarely practiced; instead owners pay a quack every year to keep their shops authorized. They won't ever keep track of purchasers if they can't play by the rules from the start.

That said, it is a shame that pseudoephedrine is banned. The government should deal with the methamphetamine epidemic by improving the miserable living situations of potential users. Banning one precursor chemical will only up the stakes for criminal conglomerates to steal/smuggle scarce and tightly-controlled alternatives, and open doors for new players in this game.

This is absolutely true but the stick is also needed in addition to the carrot. Nothing much will happen to the government hospital pharmacists who have imported millions of pseudoephedrine pills for direct on shipment to the drug gangs. They and their criminal bosses are all under the protection of police, military and politician drug dealers and there is huge funding available to ensure they don't go down.

The swift round up of a couple of dozen hi so drug dealers and sentencing them to life in prison without the possibility of parole (or amnesty) would force many kingpins in the drug trade to reconsider but it will never happen because the money is so huge and everyone is for sale at a price. The banning of a cheap, safe and effective cold remedy is just an opportunity for grandstanding and pretending to be effective in the "war against drugs" by cynical politicians for the benefit of easily duped voters, while ensuring that the lucrative trade continues unabated. The illegal labs have had plenty of time to arranged other sources of raw materials and this action will be just a blip for them.

[moonbarman]

Why did the government not resell the pseudoephedrine to sensible countries where it is better monitered and regain some of the money wasted when the drugs were ordered by the hospital pharmacists, the money could have been reinvested to aid the war on more serious drugs.

[hellodolly]

It's a good start.

to what?

To allow the bigger criminals gain even further power, just like the mafia did in the US after prohibition. It didn't work then and it won't work now. After all these so called successes, the use and abuse of these drugs increases which suggests the policy is not achieving its objectives but the powers that be, brains addled by years of alcohol poisoning, fail to notice this. A few countries have bravely tried different strategies with some real success but they are dismissed as 'irresponsible'. The rest continue with their failing methods increasing any problems and wasting huge amounts of money. Worthless as it is, it does give them something to do.

People should look at the different approach Portugal is using and the amount of success they are having.

Crazy how may countries continue to do the same thing year after year and nothing happens but they don't let that stop them.

[hellodolly]

You can get drunk from mouthwash. Look out!!!!

And you don't need as munch of it as you do beer.

Also the officer will not be able to smell alcohol on you.