4 ms·

Just checked what the attitude on Adderall is here in Japan. From ministry of health site (http://kouseikyoku.mhlw.go.jp/kantoshinetsu/gyomu/bu_ka/shido_kansa/d

by bemmu 14y ago

Just checked what the attitude on Adderall is here in Japan. From ministry of health site (http://kouseikyoku.mhlw.go.jp/kantoshinetsu/gyomu/bu_ka/shido_kansa/documents/qa_bringmedicines_070618.pdf http://kouseikyoku.mhlw.go.jp/kantoshinetsu/gyomu/bu_ka/shid...): "Nobody can bring any medicine containing Methamphetamine or Amphetamine (Adderall and so on) into Japan. If you are found with any medicine containing Methamphetamine or Amphetamine illegally in Japan, you can be arrested as a criminal on the spot, immediately, without a warrant in principle."

anigbrowl 14y ago
Japan had an amphetamine epidemic in the 1950s, and has had a major down on them ever since. Asian countries in general seem to treat drug problems as something foisted on them by western imperialists, a belief for which there is some historical basis; but it has also become a convenient narrative that's preferable to the loss of face involved in admitting that any of one's citizens might have a tendency towards abusing drugs or be disenchanted with the status quo.
- dschiptsov 14y ago
  Drug problem is not a political, but social one. It is connected with lower-class unemployment and general despair. Take a look at modern Russia - it is a disaster.
  - D3 14y ago
    Political == social. Social despair occurs primarily because of politics. Hell, in the world of humanity, everything is political/social.
  - guard-of-terra 14y ago
    Modern Russia seems to suffer more from alchohol than from drugs. "War on drugs" seems dubious at best since according to official statistics my sub-division of Moscow has 7 times more alchoholics than it has drug addicsts (20000 vs 3000 if you're wondering, taken from a newspaper, don't think the number is any accurate but tend to believe the ballpark) Efforts are made to make alchohol harder to buy with mixed result (but "mixed result" is one step better than "no result" we see from the worldwide war on drugs)
    - dschiptsov 14y ago
      It is all much more complicated. Alcoholism affects mostly adult population, while drugs is mostly problem of adolescents. Sure, young are also getting drunk routinely, but it affects them much less, and habit isn't that strong. A typical adult in Russia has so ruined, that he needs very small dosage and it affect him so heavy, transforms to almost an animal state. Young also have less tendency to abandon everything and just drink for weeks - they has much deeper social ties. Drugs, on the other hand, creates fast and much stronger addiction, they also changes the mind, the attitude towards the world and life itself much deeper. Another important factor is that dopers die very quickly, and you cannot see them suffering on the streets as you could see drunks whenever you happen to look. Usually, only close relatives have involved in a tragedy and it doesn't last too long - a year, on average, while drunkards could survive for decades.. So, problem is here. "War on drugs", is, of course, way to steal more money, not to offer any help with causes. Government is involved because it affects their interests. A totalitarian state needs a cheap, unskilled workforce to build an assets and create wealth for the top-tier, but it need them sane and healthy. They cannot recruit sick slaves to serve in Army or to work on a construction sites. That is why there is a this "war on drugs" posters on the every wall. And of course no body cares what older population does. If they going to die from alcoholism - that good for the government - less pension spending. This is just a very rough outlook.)
      - guard-of-terra 14y ago
        Drugs can create fast and much stronger addiction, but I can't say I see it actually happening much. Neither there are statisics suggesting that it happens at scale. Of course, some addicts presumably exist, but not enough to convert the problem from political one to social one (in observable Russia at least). It still seems the main reason for war on drugs is mining government money and political leverage.
- pdog 14y ago
  When you say "some historical basis" do you mean the Opium Wars[1] and the Century of Humiliation[2]? They were pretty bad, so perhaps there is more than just a "convenient narrative" (as you acknowledge). [1] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars [2] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_humiliation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_humiliation
  - anigbrowl 14y ago
    The former, not the latter, which has little to do with drug consumption.
    - pdog 14y ago
      The beginning of the Century of Humiliation is usually dated to the eve of the First Opium War and the widespread addiction and political unraveling of China that followed. Though many other wars were fought and lost during this period.
WildUtah 14y ago
"Nobody can bring any medicine containing Methamphetamine or Amphetamine (Adderall and so on) into Japan." It's the same in the USA without special permits. Methamphetamine and adderall are both classified under the same Schedule 2 criminal rubric. The investigation and prosecution of doctors who prescribe adderall, knowingly or not, to patients who then resell it to people without insurance or access to health care employs thousands -- probably tens of thousands -- of DEA and local police.

by bemmu 14y ago

anigbrowl 14y ago

Japan had an amphetamine epidemic in the 1950s, and has had a major down on them ever since. Asian countries in general seem to treat drug problems as something foisted on them by western imperialists, a belief for which there is some historical basis; but it has also become a convenient narrative that's preferable to the loss of face involved in admitting that any of one's citizens might have a tendency towards abusing drugs or be disenchanted with the status quo.

dschiptsov 14y ago
Drug problem is not a political, but social one. It is connected with lower-class unemployment and general despair. Take a look at modern Russia - it is a disaster.
- D3 14y ago
  Political == social. Social despair occurs primarily because of politics. Hell, in the world of humanity, everything is political/social.
- guard-of-terra 14y ago
  Modern Russia seems to suffer more from alchohol than from drugs. "War on drugs" seems dubious at best since according to official statistics my sub-division of Moscow has 7 times more alchoholics than it has drug addicsts (20000 vs 3000 if you're wondering, taken from a newspaper, don't think the number is any accurate but tend to believe the ballpark) Efforts are made to make alchohol harder to buy with mixed result (but "mixed result" is one step better than "no result" we see from the worldwide war on drugs)
  - dschiptsov 14y ago
    It is all much more complicated. Alcoholism affects mostly adult population, while drugs is mostly problem of adolescents. Sure, young are also getting drunk routinely, but it affects them much less, and habit isn't that strong. A typical adult in Russia has so ruined, that he needs very small dosage and it affect him so heavy, transforms to almost an animal state. Young also have less tendency to abandon everything and just drink for weeks - they has much deeper social ties. Drugs, on the other hand, creates fast and much stronger addiction, they also changes the mind, the attitude towards the world and life itself much deeper. Another important factor is that dopers die very quickly, and you cannot see them suffering on the streets as you could see drunks whenever you happen to look. Usually, only close relatives have involved in a tragedy and it doesn't last too long - a year, on average, while drunkards could survive for decades.. So, problem is here. "War on drugs", is, of course, way to steal more money, not to offer any help with causes. Government is involved because it affects their interests. A totalitarian state needs a cheap, unskilled workforce to build an assets and create wealth for the top-tier, but it need them sane and healthy. They cannot recruit sick slaves to serve in Army or to work on a construction sites. That is why there is a this "war on drugs" posters on the every wall. And of course no body cares what older population does. If they going to die from alcoholism - that good for the government - less pension spending. This is just a very rough outlook.)
    - guard-of-terra 14y ago
      Drugs can create fast and much stronger addiction, but I can't say I see it actually happening much. Neither there are statisics suggesting that it happens at scale. Of course, some addicts presumably exist, but not enough to convert the problem from political one to social one (in observable Russia at least). It still seems the main reason for war on drugs is mining government money and political leverage.
pdog 14y ago
When you say "some historical basis" do you mean the Opium Wars[1] and the Century of Humiliation[2]? They were pretty bad, so perhaps there is more than just a "convenient narrative" (as you acknowledge). [1] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars [2] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_humiliation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_humiliation
- anigbrowl 14y ago
  The former, not the latter, which has little to do with drug consumption.
  - pdog 14y ago
    The beginning of the Century of Humiliation is usually dated to the eve of the First Opium War and the widespread addiction and political unraveling of China that followed. Though many other wars were fought and lost during this period.

WildUtah 14y ago

"Nobody can bring any medicine containing Methamphetamine or Amphetamine (Adderall and so on) into Japan." It's the same in the USA without special permits. Methamphetamine and adderall are both classified under the same Schedule 2 criminal rubric. The investigation and prosecution of doctors who prescribe adderall, knowingly or not, to patients who then resell it to people without insurance or access to health care employs thousands -- probably tens of thousands -- of DEA and local police.