Almost all UN members approved the 1961, 1971 and 1988 conventions on the prohibition of the main illegal recreational drugs. The goal of these mandates was, in the words of William Brownfield, US Assistant Secretary of State for drugs, to "reduce the misuse and abuse of products harmful in the world. "and the way to achieve this is to launch an all-out war against drugs. Now, half a century later, the belief that the culling of drugs are not the best way manage the problem begins to take root.
We are talking about cannabis, illicit drug in the world of choice. in the United States, four states have legalized as a Washington, while most European countries have decriminalized the use - but not drug trafficking Uruguay is the first country to legalize the entire chain from cultivation to distribution and consumption of cannabis [
regarding other drugs (and there are a number of them) legislation in Western countries are not as lenient, yet. Users of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine are sometimes still prosecuted, and heroin users could be jailed, but at the same time are provided with access to clean needles and methadone; a substitute to stop overdoses addicts. In Amsterdam, the policy goes further. Heroin addicts who can prove they have tried to quit smoking several times but failed, can get heroin to smoke or inject three times a day in a municipal health center. The result is that addicts have disappeared from the streets, and those under 40 are almost nonexistent.
There100 years in the Netherlands East Indies, the main opium was amazing. Used for medical or recreational purposes, the substance was entirely controlled by the colonial authorities through its 1893 legislation called Opium Regie , or Opium. Raw Indian opium was bought by an agent at the auction Calcutta with the UK Government to ensure product quality. This outsourcing has been adopted as poppy cultivation was banned for reasons that, in the vast expanse of the archipelago it was almost impossible to control the production. In addition, it was asked whether the local culture give a reliable product. The government was therefore the only one monopolistic importer and processor of raw opium, taking care of packaging and shipping for resale by tenants, too.
As elsewhere in the world, 19 e century was quite tolerant of smoking opium; it was not seen as a threat to health and society. In 1884, a royal commission in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, interviewed a girl of good family and education why she smoked opium. His response was : Why do people start drinking? Trouble, I suppose brought me to smoke. I think it's better than drinking. People who smoke opium will refresh rows; they hurt not one but themselves, and I do not think they hurt a lot .
Back in the Netherlands East Indies, research at the psychiatric hospital in Lawang could not find a link between mental illness, or heredity, and the smoking of opium. And experts were of the view that moderate use of opium did little harm to Asians. The researchers reported that Lawang :. ... typical representation of opium damage is greatly exaggerated
The authors cite examples of coolies who took a certain amount of opium on a daily basis and were still able to perform heavy physical labor. The coolies coal port of Singapore, for example, have reached old age and were known as strong and industrious workers, even if they smoked 10 to 20 times more opium than the Javanese workers.
I do not know if the writers were enlightened free thinkers and ahead of their time, or trying to justify their own habits, but their statements are certainly different from what we expect of read in an encyclopedia 100 years. However, the article also contains statements and references to studies that oppose the opinions above. The authors themselves, for example, report that the unrestrained smoking [of opium] eventually ravage the body. But this, of course refers to unbridled smoking , rather than to take a certain amount opium .
Opium Regie was modified and adjusted frequently than the government faces the difficulty of predicting how much to import and distribute to different tenants and operators opium den. If too little was bought in Calcutta, tenants - aided and abetted by large powerful groups with business interests in trade - would smuggle quantities necessary to offset the shortage in the country. And when too much was distributed, tenants would be (illegally) enlarge the sales area assigned to them.
In the 20 e century, the desire to eradicate opium smoking gradually obtained, and various stronger methods to achieve this goal have been used. The number of regions where opium was allowed to be sold has been reduced, as has the number of opium dens. In Java and Madura, for example, the number of holes was reduced by 20 percent, or from 1 January 1025 1905-823 12 years later. Great care was taken not to reduce their number too quickly because it probably would lead to smuggling and illegal sales.
The government's dilemma was immense. On one hand, the desire to curb the opium-smoking was genuine. However, the revenues collected from opium was very profitable. In 1916, revenues stood at 35,345,160 florins, with operating costs (including raw materials, processing, packaging, shipping, the cost of preventing smuggling, and pensions) to 6,933,646 florins only, leaving a net profit of 28,411,514 florins - the equivalent of about $ 350 million today.
It was World War II that ended the Regie opium and profits.
It seems that the main reason for the lack of success of the anti-opium-smoking campaign was the profits from the sale of opium. Therefore history repeats , as nowadays the big profits are still the main reasons why the war against drugs has been a failure. Only now, profits are made illegally by big outfits, well organized criminals who have the capital to buy their way easily around obstacles.
Those being caught (and executed) are generally small-fry, small mules, or at best some low-level organizers.
The heads of large, powerful groups with business interest in trade sit back and enjoy their illicit profits.
A language publication English recently published an interesting editorial Corruption weakens the war Jokowi against drugs , in which it is stated that the basic problem of war Indonesia is on drugs "... corrupt officials, rotten prison system and of course the judicial system as a whole rather than just drug smuggling foreigners into the country ."
It is time to try an alternative approach to the fight against drug use. legalization of drugs hit the bottom in the market and eliminate the huge profits. It would also eliminate the need to kick-back and other corrupt practices. Rehabilitation of drug users and a needle cleaning program, rather than imprisonment, would also be a positive first step.
This, however, seems to be a distant dream as the new anti-drug czar, Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso, wants to stop rehabilitation services for drug users provided by his office (National Narcotics Agency, BNN). It also found that, similar to the policy on illegal fishing in Indonesian waters, the boats used to smuggle drugs should be cast, but with crew!