Thai parliament passes new narcotics bill that could ease overcrowded prisons
Thai parliament on Tuesday passed a new narcotics bill that emphasizes prevention and treatment rather than punishment for small-scale drug users, and introduces tougher measures against organised crime, which could lead to a drop in the numbers of inmates in the overcrowded Thai prison system.
The legislation, initially approved by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s cabinet in 2019, combines more than 20 existing laws relating to narcotics, some unchanged since the 1970s. Those range from laws and penalties relating to drug possession, smuggling and distribution, to confiscation of assets relating to drugs and organised crime.
“The new law shifts away from the old concept that emphasises only suppression because more suppression has not resulted in drug eradication,” Chatchawan Suksumjit, a senator who chaired a joint parliamentary committee overseeing changes to the new narcotic laws, told Reuters.
Reuters
