Thailand's "War on Drugs" Had Unexpected Consequences, New Study Says

A new study of Thailand's February-April 2003 crackdown on drugs found that although 70 percent of injection drug users (IDUs) reported ceasing heroin use in the campaign's wake, nearly a third of the quitters had switched to smoking methamphetamine or opium. "The multiple unintentional outcomes of such a government policy" could include an elevated risk of HIV infection among former IDUs, the study noted.

At the time of the crackdown, Thailand's government claimed that methamphetamine use was so rampant it was a national security threat. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's campaign against users and dealers of illegal drugs included widespread arrests, surrenders, and 2,300 killings. The government said the killings were the work of drug dealers seeking to silence potential witnesses. However, numerous public and media critics contend the killings were extra-judicial murders carried out by the police and other security officials.

Of 165 participants surveyed, 98 (70 percent) claimed they quit using heroin during the crackdown. The benefit of weaning IV drug users off injection drugs should not be taken for granted, said researchers. Their report noted "methamphetamine use is known to be associated with HIV risk taking, such as unsafe sex and multiple partners." The study cited findings that heroin users who switched to alcohol and then returned to IV drug use "may be at higher risk for HIV infection, as alcohol abuse plays an important role in needle sharing."

In addition, fear and intimidation from the war on drugs are likely to discourage drug users from accessing HIV testing and other medical services, the report said.

Yngve Danling, a law enforcement advisor for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, agreed. "If 70 percent are not using needles, that is certainly a good effect," he said. "But on the other hand, using other drugs like methamphetamine and alcohol is certainly a risk factor. People get careless."

The full study, "The Influence of Thailand's 2003 'War on Drugs' Policy on Self-Reported Drug Use Among Injection Drug Users in Chang Mai, Thailand," was published in the International Journal of Drug Policy (2005;16(2):115-121).

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