NCJ Number
134995
Date Published
1991
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the historical background of drug abuse in Myanmar Naing-Ngan and measures taken to reduce supply and demand.
Abstract
The seeds of a drug abuse problem in Myanmar Naing-Ngan appeared in 1885 when the British annexed the country. At the time of independence, there were over 40,000 registered drug addicts in the country; the number of nonregistered addicts might have been four times that number. After independence, the government intended to eliminate opium consumption in the country within 5 years, but political instability prevented this. Because of the extensive drug problem in the country, the government enacted the Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs Law in 1974. In superseding all previous drug laws, this statute bans cultivation, production, preparation, possession, transportation, transfer, export, and import of narcotic drugs. Each offense is punished severely, with the maximum sanction being death and the minimum being 5 years in prison. Compulsory registration and treatment for drug addicts is prescribed. The demand-reduction program encompasses treatment, education, media campaigns, and international cooperation. This paper describes the government's administrative structure for implementing the mandated supply and demand reduction efforts