The changing drug landscape in Asia

A new report from the RAND Corporation outlines the changing landscape of drugs and related policy in Asian countries. The report’s authors write that data on the use of drugs in Asian countries is already limited and often self-reported, and it’s also harder to come by as countries like the Philippines put in place punitive measures against drug users and sellers. Other countries are going in a different direction: About 70% of Thailand’s prisoners in 2016 were incarcerated for drug offenses, but the country is now moving toward an approach that involves treatment for addiction and needle exchange programs. A big concern is also the transport of drugs across borders, including rising Chinese production of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is fueling the opioid epidemic in the U.S.