Asia

Daily News, 06 Feb 2012 - Fifty two percent increase in cannabis related arrests during 2010 compared to 2009: Present trends indicate an increase in the misuse of cannabis, the latest Handbook of Drug Abuse Information issued by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board said.

Jakarta Globe, 05 Feb 2012 - Indonesia's aviation industry has admitted concern over widespread drug use, and the House of Representatives will summon Lion Air management after the arrest of a Lion pilot for drug use in Surabaya on Saturday, the second such case in two months. Indonesia National Air Carriers Association secretary general Tengku Burhanuddin said the use of drugs among airline crews had tainted the industry's image, and he called on the government to take quick action to crack down on the circulation of drugs.

Ha'aretz, 30 Jan 2012 - Most cancer patients currently being treated with medical marijuana are advised of the option only in the advanced stages of the illness, according to researchers. More than two-thirds of cancer patients who were prescribed medical marijuana to combat pain are reportedly satisfied with the treatment, according to a comprehensive study conducted for the first time in Israel.

The National, 22 Jan 2012 - ABU DHABI // A young man sentenced to life in prison for drug dealing has had his sentence reduced to three years. F, a Jordanian, tried to sell Dh1,000 worth of hashish to an undercover officer. F, who was 17 when arrested, confessed to the charges.

The Cyprus Mail, 17 Jan 2012 - SYNTHETIC narcotic substances banned last year appear to have been found in the Central Prison, the prison's deputy director said yesterday. According to George Tryfonides, the drugs have been taken for lab tests, but are believed to be part of a number of substances that were considered "legal highs", under the name of Dream.

Daily News, 09 Jan 2012 - If hard drugs are continuing to flow into Sri Lanka, the inescapable conclusion is that there is a considerable demand for them in this country. This is discomforting news but that is the harsh reality. The prisons are chockfull of those who have been convicted of drug-related offences and the news is that there has been no decrease in the rate of hard drugs-linked detections. In fact, we are given to understand that last year, 38 kilograms of heroin were seized and some 14,000 or more persons were arrested in connection with hard drugs related offences.

The Himalayan Times, 28 Dec 2011 - The use of drugs and drug-related items has been prohibited by the law. But this prohibition hasn't been able to eliminate use of drugs particularly among the youths. It has rather assisted the creation of a black market. Different chains of traffickers are active in supplying drug to the abusers. Today's commonly used illegal drug is marijuana and hashish. Neither our law has been capable to check their rampant use nor its production, distribution and sale. Despite the regular raids and the seizure of tons of such narcotics, the use has not been observed to be growing less. Likewise, there are such drugs which are sold in pharmacies with a legal prescription. Consider the examples of legally prescribed opilates or marijuana to treat problems like menstrual pain in females. But the pharmacies here look for money not the prescription and thus the drug access is easy for abusers. Other type of addicts like inhalants of paints, gums and dendrite, are tough to control. The more tight the security system is made in stopping transportation of drugs, abusers are found using much more complicated methods for transportation. So, it's not wise to rely only on national law to solve the drug problem.

Deccan Herald, 26 Dec 2011 - Shaukat Symbolises Change That Many Like Him Have Undergone Shaukat of Jahangirpuri started taking drugs at the age of 10 while in Class 4. Due to addiction, he dropped out of school and took to stealing. Now, he is a reformed man of 22 years, projected as a role model at the city's first permanent drug de-addiction centre for juvenile delinquents at Kingsway Camp.

Tehran Times, 26 Dec 2011 - TEHRAN -- The heads of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government held a meeting at the judiciary chief's office on Monday. During the meeting, President Ahmadinejad, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, and Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani discussed a range of regional and international issues, particularly the developments occurring in the region.