Opium and Amphetamine in Myanmar

In Myanmar in 2012 there are increase methamphetamine seizures and methamphetamine-related arrests, as well as the number of patients in drug treatment facilities.  Over 18.2 million meth pills were seized in Myanmar in 2014, a massive increase over the 5.8 million seized in 2011 but below the record haul of 23.8 million in 2009. There are 1815 people were arrested on meth pill related charges, a 15 percent increase over last year, report said. Myanmar’s increasing methamphetamine problem is cordially with a growing. Currently Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam all reported increasing people who use methamphetamine medicine in 2012. Production and trafficking of opium, opium and methamphetamine still centered on eastern Shan State. The biggest of methamphetamine pills production in Myanmar are trafficked directly to Thailand or via Laos. Most of Myanmar’s opium, at the same time, fly to China. Myanmar is one of the largest countries, in South-East Asia. It is bordered by China, the Lao people’s Democratic Republic (PRD) and Thailand in the east, and Bangladesh and India in the west. So, in Myanmar is comfortable to grow opium and export to another countries but in 1989, the military government began to bargain armistice agreements with armed ethnic opposition groups in the more faraway parts of the country. As a result, in our country (Myanmar) will increase people who use amphetamine more year by year, there will be more opium and amphetamine trafficker and there will be increase diseases so that, they control it.

Opium today and in the future

Moreover, Situation Assessment on Amphetamine-Type Stimulants,[1] In April 2010, 108 kg of crystalline methamphetamine were seized at the Naungcho Township in North of Shan State, which was destined for Yangon through Mandalay. The drugs were believed to be intended for onward transportation to international markets by air. More recently, in October 2010, 62 kg of crystalline methamphetamine destined for Thailand were seized at Tachileik. Law enforcement officials indicate that seizures of crystalline methamphetamine have been mostly intended for the international market, rather than for local consumption[2]. Although there have been no clandestine laboratories reportedly seized for crystalline methamphetamine, the authorities in Myanmar as well as Thailand indicate that producing is occurring in the Golden Triangle. The majority of crystalline methamphetamine seized in the northern part of Thailand in the past 2-3 years is reportedly originating from the Golden Triangle. Thai authorities also insist that the crystalline methamphetamine produced in the Golden Triangle is of more than more high pureness. Twenty Ecstasy - not yenta major problem Ecstasy is not manufactured in Myanmar and the small numbers which are seized, are brought in from other countries, reportedly for use by members of the country’s affluent in the country elite which can pay this relatively expensive drug. The first griping of delight (MDMA) in Myanmar was recorded in 2001 with only pills seized. Most seizures occur in huge cities like Yangon and Mandalay. In 2009, law enforcement officials reported seizures of a mere ecstasy pills. No ecstasy seizures were reported from January to September 2010. Unlike methamphetamine, ecstasy seizures do not occur every year.

Amphetamine

Furthermore, the hugest recorded seizure was 5,807 pills in 2005. Three-fold increase in methamphetamine pill seizures in Myanmar and its immediate neighborhood increasing seizures of methamphetamine pills, heroin and opium have been reported in countries neighboring Myanmar, especially in the border regions of China and Thailand. The total seizures of methamphetamine pills in China, Myanmar and Thailand in 2009 amounted to just over 93 million pills. This represents a fold increase over the total seizure 28 in those same countries of 31.9 million pills in the preceding year. Discussions at SMART Myanmar National Workshop, December 2009, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Thailand presentation, Global SMART Programme Regional Workshop, July 2009, Bangkok, Thailand. [3]Thailand presentation, Global SMART Programme Regional Workshop, July 2009, Bangkok, Thailand. 2734 Methylenedioxy methamphetamine, or one of its analogues MDA, and MDE. The regional figure refers to the data collected from Japan and the Republic of Korea, and eleven countries in East and South-East Asia where the Global SMART Programme is being implemented. These countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

There are no reliable data on drug use patterns and trends in Myanmar, as the county has never carried out a national drug use survey. Until recently, research on drug use-related issues was deemed too sensitive; however, under the new government there is more space to do so. It is clear that drug consumption patterns differ from region to region. Traditional and medicinal opium use is prevalent in the country’s main opium growing regions. However over the last decades, the country has seen a shift from smoking opium to smoking and injecting heroin, and more recently also to snorting and swallowing ATS. These trends are partly caused by the increase in heroin prices following the opium decline in the early 2000s, as injecting heroin is more cost-effective than smoking. Apart from, in 2009, China reported total seizures of more than 40 million pills. This represents an almost 6 fold increase from the 6.25 million pills seized in 2008.29 there is no confirmation of the specific origin of these pills. But the Chinese government has been reporting a sharp increase of drug trafficking into China from the Golden Triangle region by means of constantly changing drug trafficking routes and methods. Reports have pointed to transnational drug syndicates attempting to sell stored drugs, with a resulting sharp increase of drug smuggled into China. Preliminary data for 2010 indicates that the large-scale trafficking of methamphetamine pills into neighboring countries has continued in 2010. From January to September 2010, Thailand reported the seizure of over 44 million pills 31 and Lao PDR reported the seizure of more than 22 million pills, representing a total of more than 66 million pills. Given that China has not yet report seizure data to DAINAP, there is a strong likelihood that total seizures in the region for 2010 will reach or even surpass the total seizures recorded in 2009.

So, if the law is not strong it is not easy to control the people who traffick opium and amphetamine. However, for young people are very dangerous by using opium and amphetamine because it will affect their family and their village so that, this is very important for our country (Myanmar) moreover, current there are many people like to use the new thing by the country develop. After that there will be increased people who use amphetamine more year by year, there will be more opium and amphetamine trafficker and there will be increase diseases.

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[1]  Amphetamines and Ecstasy: 2008 Global ATS Assessment, UNODC, September 2008, p.29.

[2] Discussions at SMART Myanmar National Workshop, 15 December 2009, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar

[3] 8 The regional figure refers to the data collected from Japan and the Republic of Korea, and eleven countries in East and

South-East Asia where the Global SMART Programme is being implemented. These countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia,

China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.