Illicit drugs in Asia - Essay Example

ILLICIT DRUGS IN ASIA These drugs are chemical substances which can either be stimulants, depressants, narcotics, cannabis or hallucinogens. They are harmful to the human consumption and therefore considered as illegal in most countries. Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of the most addictive substance called opium. Asian countries in the early times were no drug zones until when economies began to practice free trade. By the eighth century A.D, opium had spread to China from eastern Mediterranean. As a result of the emergence of drugs in the Asian continent, this has constantly led to new regulatory systems (Rashid, 2002). This has led to a great collaboration between other Western historians such as America and those in Asia in order to deal with this issue. One of the new perspectives is about the historic markets for psycho-active substances. As early as 1960’s, international opium trade had already started in Southeast Asia in a remote region called Burma. Most addicts and dealers were found in Hong Kong while the drug policymakers were based in Washington, D.C. On February 28th, 2013, China prohibited and executed Burmese drug traffickers after the murder of its thirteen boatmen. The second perspective is how Asian consumers of psychoactive new markets have been forged. The market for the production of methamphetamine has been the rise due to the new conf ration of Asian medicine. The economic integration in oceanic countries has led to the expansion of illicit drug trade. Since 2013, international drug trafficking networks such as South Asia, Western Asia, North America and Western Africa have been targeting the region (Haq, 2000). The other perspective is the significance of the place of psycho-active substances in Asia. Illicit drugs in Asia provide a source of income to farmers as they largely depend on illicit drug harvest (Chouvy, 2013). As a result, these farmers become able to support their families without difficulties. For suppliers, they benefit by advertising, marketing and selling their products under the names of harmless daily products such as fertilizers, salt and room fresheners. This enables them mislead the authorities for transacting illegal trade in order to do their daily business and make money. In addition to that, governments have largely benefited from these drugs. Some fund their political campaigns using the money from the trade of these drugs. Besides, is the prospective of chief concerns of governments and administrations in controlling the markets and consumers. The drug traffickers have since been haunted by the Asian governments as they have constantly led to public health threat as opposed to the usage of illegal and illicit drugs. By this doing, the concerned authorities have set aside enough funds for the purposes counterdrug initiatives. This is because these illicit drugs were also noticed to have been the source of the huge psychological attraction and tension to some social-economic groups. As a result, capital punishments and Human rights which are the constitutes of law have been the tools of scrutiny in this problem and in international relations but have received less attention in the media. Controlling these markets has however been a huge task because of the difficulties experienced. Effective law enforcement measures by authorities have therefore been set up by the UN to eliminate opium and have shown a significant increase in the seizures of these drugs in the region in 2008 (Rashid, 2002). The most important insights about taking this class are to learn more about Asia and its social history of drugs. As early as 1887, drugs were in existence in Asia until 1920’s when amphetamine a stimulant became widely used in the medical field. Drugs continued to develop in to 1990’s when methamphetamine, which was being smoked began to increase in the Asia and other international countries such as the United States. Drugs and their use have since been prohibited in most nations and termed as illegal. The insight of international drug control policy, drug diplomacy, and Asian drug control strategy is also important in taking this class. This forms the basis of the reformulation process and how new drugs are constantly being processed .It also entails the reduction of illegal drug production at the source, combating drugs in transit, dismantling international illicit drug networks, preventing and reducing drug demand abroad and creating incentives for international cooperation on drug control. These measures assist in enhancing the general public welfare by preventing the rise of crimes and also promoting the general public health. There is a big difference in which the disciplines of philosophy, history, anthropology, film studies and Chinese Traditional Medicine think about and present a topic. History has it that Asia has been producing drugs such as opium since mid 19th century. After 1980, trade and tourism were opened in Asia and so there has been an increase in the flow of drugs .In the topic of drugs and medicine for instance, the Chinese traditional medicine supports the progress of medicine but the authors do not seem to understand that philosophy is the basis of this medicine. The traditional Chinese medicine presents the indigenous medicine which history terms it as significant in nurturing life (Chouvy, 2013). Philosophy is accused by Chinese traditional medicine for holding back the progress of medicine. Besides, most film makers do not integrate their approaches and findings of anthropology about a topic. For instance, in film making, visual approaches such as photography should be integrated in anthropology. Anthropology explains the origin, the evolution, varieties and usage of the drugs in Asia although the researchers in it have paid less attention to the modulation of Chinese traditional medicine. They have instead looked at the changing regimes and ideas that come up with the production of these drugs. References Rashid, A. (2002). Taliban: Militant Islam, oil, and fundamentalism in Central Asia. Waterville, Me.: Thorndike Press.Top of ForBottom of Form Bottom of Form Chouvy, P. (2013). An atlas of trafficking in southeast Asia the illegal trade in arms, drugs, people, counterfeit goods and natural resources in mainland southeast Asia. London: I.B. Tauris. Haq, M. (2000). Drugs in South Asia from the opium trade to the present day. Houndmills: Macmillan. Read More