re: "Record billion meth pills seized in East, SE Asia last year: UN" (BP, May 30, 2022)
Dear editor,
If the fact reported that the surging supply of methamphetamine pills "has sent street prices in Thailand and Malaysia crashing to all-time lows" as criminal gangs cash in big thanks to drug policy that has for many decades failed absolutely to reduce drug use and drug harms is not yet further solid proof of absolute failure, what is it? A ringing testament to success? Applying the same apparent reasoning, does that mean we have also been interpreting the 1997 Tom Yum Kung crisis all wrong, that it was in reality, when correctly understood, a highly successful masterpiece of economic planning that brought only wealth to Thailand and the other nations blessed by eagerly following the Thai lead?
The criminal gangs, meanwhile, are plainly happy with the prevailing policy of willfully repeating known failure, and the Joe Ferrari's snugly entrenched as poster boys of law enforcement, at least until inconvenient videos are rudely made public, are keen supporters of the status quo for obvious reasons. It must, however, be wondered whether any sane person who cares about reducing drug-related harm to society can applaud this persistent proof of abject failure bought at massive economic, social and moral cost. Are those high costs worth it merely to profit criminals and their loyal aids keeping the wheels spinning?
Felix Qui
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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.
The text as edited was published in PostBag on June 1, 2022, under the title "Failing drug policies" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/2319122/failing-drug-policies
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