Malaysia recently made headlines when it undertook an aggressive initiative to eradicate drugs by 2015. The program is known as, “Rakan Anti-Dadah (Rada)” and was introduced by the country’s National Anti-Drug Agency (Nada). So, how exactly does Malaysia “realistically” intend to complete it goal? Well, with the help of the 100,000 volunteers it is actively seeking to join the effort.

According to NADA Director-general Datuk Abd Bakir, the ides is to have youth members join the effort and serve as the eyes and ears of the movement; the ideal target would be rural youths. NADA believes the higher concentration of drug use and crime in rural areas can be curbed and eventually eradicated by youths, as they easily infiltrate and blend in. The goal is that they report the drug-related activities to authorities.

Bakir said that the Malaysia National Anti-Drug Agency has been sending its officers to meet with students and trainees at local at local branch offices of the national service camps across the country, in order to meet the goal of 1,000 newly registered members from each of Malaysia’s providences.

A large portion of the Laos population is suffering from addiction to a new drug known as “yabaa”. “Yabaa”, which translates to “crazy drug”, is an amphetamine that is easily acquired due to its low price and high availability. The elevated consumption of “yabaa” in Laos is being attributed to the highly addictive property of the drug.

The United Nations’ office of Drug and Crime (UNODC) has estimated that of the 6 million inhabitants of Laos, approximately 40,000 of them are dealing with an addiction to “yabaa”. The UNODC has also pointed out that, currently, the Laos government does not have the means or resources necessary to deal with this new problem.

When it comes to drug related issues in Laos, the legal system generally takes on a punitive approach; for example, drug dealing is punished with life in prison or a death sentence. However, due to lack of funds, a new approach with a rehabilitation-focus is being taken. The new director of the Somsanga Center for Rehabilitation and Treatment, Sisuphanh Boupha, has implemented several changes to help addicts rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.

The report also noted that Wenjun was partying with friends and wife, for her birthday, all of whom were also arrested on similar drug charges.  Additionally, it was noted that apparently Man Wenjun was given a drug test, which produced a positive result for drugs in his system.

Man Wenjun, now 40, is considered by many to have a distinct style within China’s often lavish pop scene.  He broke out in 1996 with his big hit “I Understand You All the Time.”  Just last year he was awarded China’s esteemed “environmental ambassadorship” award for producing environmentally conscious songs.

The National Institutes of Health recently awarded a $117 million dollar grant to the University of Delaware to conduct a study on “Party Drugs” in Brazil. The study would be the first of its kind in Brazil. The study will take place in Porte Alegre, Brazil and will be conducted with the aid of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil).

The term “Party Drugs” is most commonly used to refer to drugs that are be used frequently in the club scene; more specifically, Ecstasy, Crystal Meth, LSD, GHB, etc.  These Party Drugs are considered especially dangerous because they are often used to commit date rapes. 200 participants, between the ages of 18-39, will have their histories examined and their behaviors monitored as part of the study.

The proposal submitted to National Institutes of Health stated that the study aims to: “distribute ‘harm reduction’ literature at club events and that is positive.” Additionally, the immediate goal of the study is to produce literature on local treatment centers in the native Brazilian Portuguese.

The overwhelming majority of Swiss citizens have voted to make their comprehensive heroin program permanent. The program, which began in 1994, is composed of 23 centers to which heroin addicts may attend and get two daily doses of heroin. The doses are carefully administered with clean needles under the supervision of a nurse and the heroin used is produced in government laboratories.

Even though the addicts selected to receive these services have been previously unresponsive to therapy, the heroin program also provides psychiatric and counseling services.

The program has been praised for its reduction of “out in the open” heroin users in Switzerland, as well as reducing crime and improving the health and lives of addicts.

Trial programs modeled after the Swiss one are being put into effect or being considered on countries all over the world, including Spain, Australia, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada. Still, some United Nation countries have criticized the program saying it may encourage drug use.

Not surprisingly, Gasquet quickly pulled out of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fl, after have taken the tests.  Gasquet claims that his withdrawal was due to a right shoulder injury.  The governing bodies of world-wide tennis, the WTA and the ITF, along with the World Anti-Doping Agency are still reviewing Richard Gasquet’s case.  The French Tennis player faces up to a two-year ban from international play as a result of testing positive for cocaine.

Despite the current controversy that surrounds 22-years-old, Richard Gasquet, he has definitely proven his skills in the past when he made it as a semi-finalist in the Wimbledon by beating Andy Roddick; also, he had a former world ranking of #7 and currently hold the ranking of 23rd in the world.

Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe, has introduced an amendment that aims to make drug possession illegal in Colombia. The Colombian congress already began discussing the illegality of drugs in Colombia earlier last week.

As it stands currently, Colombia citizens (of legal adult age 18+) are permitted to legally possess 20 grams of marijuana, 1 gram of cocaine and or 2 grams of synthetic drugs, ecstasy. Drugs current status was the result of a 1994 Constitutional court ruling.

In a recent speech, President Uribe stated that there was a contradiction in the fact that Colombia claims to be waging war on drugs (using billions of US dollars), while allowing domestic possession of drugs. During his 6 years of presidency, Uribe, has put forth various efforts to evoke this reform. However, he has always faced resistance from congress members, who believe the illegalization of drugs in Colombia would be a violation of Colombian’s freedoms.

The new amendment is less punitive than the ones previously introduced. However, if passed, drug possession would be considered a misdemeanor, not a felony, and would result in the intervention of a “therapeutic court”, involving judges, doctors, and psychologists.

Yesterday (May 04) the Canadian all-party committee held a meeting to hear from opponents and supporters alike on the new Ottawa drug policy that calls for mandatory minimum sentences for drugs like marijuana, which has been approved by the government to 3,000 Canadians for medicinal use.  The newly proposed Canadian drug penalties would call for an automatic two year sentence for offenders selling small amounts of drugs near schools, parks, malls and other youth hangouts.  Additionally, marijuana growers caught selling even one plant would also be jailed.

The Harper Government’s mandatory minimum bill would be the first of its kind in Canada.  It would supersede Canada’s current sentencing protocol, which gives judges the discretion to sentence as they see fit.  Nonetheless, the bill is receiving a lot of resistance from opponents whom argue that the bill will only fill jails with small time crooks, while the drug lords will continue to thrive and roam freely.  The issue has seemed to split between conservative and liberal parties in Canada; conservatives favoring the bill, while liberals oppose it.  Also, supporters of the new bill seem to ignore the action of the neighbors across the border, in states like New York, where mandatory minimum sentences have been recently overturned/revoked by the state’s legislation.

Currently, the mandatory minimum sentences that exist in Canada’s law books for sentencing only pertain to murder and offenses involving firearms.