Bryce Pardo

This report highlights the shifting drug policy landscape in Asia, with a special focus on (1) the violent crackdown on drug users and sellers in the Philippines, (2) Thailand's move toward an alternative approach of reducing criminal sanctions for drug use and improving access to medication treatment and needle exchange, and (3) China's emergence as a major source of many new chemical precursors and drugs that are exported outside Asia.

The majority of opioid overdoses are due to illicitly manufactured imports. Researchers from the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center evaluated publicly available data to better understand the dimensions of the consumption and supply of these substances. They performed qualitative and quantitative analyses of these data and provide their findings and recommendations in this report.