What should be done to put an end to the drug trade?

Bokeo police recently disrupted a drug ring when they arrested four people in possession of more than 4 tonnes of amphetamine. Police made another dent in the drug trade when they uncovered a stockpile of more than 55 million amphetamine tablets. With drug trafficking and addiction a growing problem in Laos, Vientiane Times asked some local residents for their thoughts on ways to tackle the issue.

Police burn confiscated drugs as a sign of their determination to suppress the trade.

Ms Chanthavy Phengsone, a resident of Sikhottabong district: I often read about drug trafficking in Laos, which involves millions of amphetamine tablets and other drugs. I find this quite shocking. I never imagined that these kinds of quantities would be present in this country. I also never thought that drugs would be produced in Laos. It’s awful that drug trafficking and addiction never seems to decrease. This could be because of inadequate law enforcement and resources to tackle drug trafficking and dealers. I think the authorities need to get tougher and make better use of the law to penalise dealers. They should also improve monitoring of the drug trade, so that the whole process is more efficient. Personally, I am really worried about this problem and hope that something can be done to resolve it quickly. I want the government to take this matter seriously and make a concerted effort to crack down on the perpetrators so that Laos becomes drug free. This would mean that our country would be more peaceful and everyone could live more contentedly without all the problems caused by drugs.

Mr Katoun, a resident of Sisattanak district: I think the government needs to get serious about drug trafficking and do a whole lot more to stop the abuse of and trade in drugs. For a serious crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse, we need tougher laws and harsher punishments for dealers. The authorities should make sure that dealers and people who use
drugs are severely penalised. It seems that many drug dealers and users of small amounts are arrested and fined, and some are given prison sentences. But they resume their unlawful practices after they’ve been fined or freed from prison. I suspect that the punishment meted out is not a sufficient deterrent, so they continue to sell or use drugs. So I really think there should be harsher penalties for people who deal in small or large amounts of any type of drug. People who deal in small amounts should not only be fined but should also be given a lengthy prison sentence, and those who return to dealing after being convicted for a first offence should get a double punishment.

Mr Lar Sommany, a resident of Xaysettha district: Drug trafficking and dealing is a big problem in many countries, including here in Laos, and has terrible consequences for society as a whole and individual families. It creates big problems for both users and people in their neighbourhood, because bad situations often develop and things can spiral out of control. Drug abuse causes many problems for families and society. Drug abuse and trafficking has become a chronic problem and needs to be strenuously tackled. Drug traffickers and users can now be found throughout the country, even though the authorities are trying to suppress the problem. In my opinion, only harsh penalties will be effective in reducing or ending drug trafficking and use in the long term. The authorities should strengthen their working methods at all levels, so that their efforts yield results. They need a strong system in place to weed out drug producers and dealers, and implement more crackdowns. Anyone who sells or uses any kind of drug should be severely punished. Of course, everyone should be aware of the problem and promptly report any suspicious incidents to the authorities.

Mr Jek, a resident of Naxaithong district: It’s a very bad situation that drug abuse and illicit trafficking are on the rise in Laos. The amount of drugs seized by police seems to be on the increase. It also seems that there’s a lot of production and trafficking going on right now. This means the police have to do a lot more to crack down on drug trafficking and production, even though they have made a number of significant drug busts in recent years. I regularly read news reports of drug dealers being arrested, but I wonder why drug trafficking continues to be so prevalent. It may be because dealers and producers aren’t afraid of the law. To me, this indicates that stronger penalties are needed to deter both dealers and users. But it’s good that the government is campaigning hard against drug trafficking, and this should be continued.

By Visith Teppalath
   (Latest Update February 7, 2021)