Thai parliament passes new narcotics bill that could ease overcrowded prisons

FILE PHOTO: Bags of heroin are seen during the 40th Destruction of Confiscated Narcotics ceremony in Ayutthaya province, nearly 80 km (50 miles) north of Bangkok, September 17, 2011. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai parliament on Tuesday passed a new narcotics bill that emphasizes prevention and treatment rather than punishment for small-scale drug users, and introduces tougher measures against organised crime, which could lead to a drop in the numbers of inmates in the overcrowded Thai prison system.

The legislation, initially approved by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's cabinet in 2019, combines more than 20 existing laws relating to narcotics, some unchanged since the 1970s. Those range from laws and penalties relating to drug possession, smuggling and distribution, to confiscation of assets relating to drugs and organised crime.