UN DRUG HARM REDUCTION LEGAL POLICY

Abstract

         Myriad nations around the globe including Thailand have encountered the drug problems and the unsuccessful prevention and suppression of drugs. Moreover, there are drug-related offenses committed by the international criminal organizations. The United Nations has acknowledged the important of such problems and therefore established the legal policies to reduce the harm from drugs, by changing the status of the addicts to be the patients, not the criminal. This was adopted in Thai criminal law. Furthermore, the United Nations has initiated the legal policies reducing the harm from the drug use as the guidelines for the member states. The direction of the policies of different countries Therefore, it focuses on designing the addicts to be patients who are a large group of people. To be separated from the criminal group related to drugs, which may include Drug capitalists, manufacturers, traders, transporter, etc., and provide assistance in treating drug addicts. Takeing into account personal health and safety in drug use as well as the safety of the society. The above United Nations’ effective legal guidelines should be adopted to Thai domestic legal policies, in order to solve the drug related offenses, particularly the reduction of the criminal offenses (De-criminalization), the recognition of the drug addicts as the patients, and the support to the drug users with the medical and public health treatment, instead of the criminal prosecution. There should also be the laws reducing the harm from the drug use in accordance with the aforesaid guidelines of the United Nations.