Drug Use

Harsh criminal penalties apply to drug use throughout the Asian region. These laws create a large range of offences related to the manufacture supply, possession and use of illicit drugs, many of which are punishable by prison terms of many years or in extreme cases, by the death penalty.

There are some provisions in some drug laws especially in India, which seek to encourage drug users to undergo treatment and rehabilitation. The Indian legislation provides that the consumption of prohibited drugs is not an offence if the person is willing to undergo rehabilitation. However apart from these very limited provisions, drug users in the region remain highly vulnerable to criminal prosecution. It is a particular concern that the possession of small quantities of drugs for self-consumption remains a criminal offence in most places, making it extremely difficult to introduce effective needle and syringe exchange programmes.