Two relevantly small events have largely gone unnoticed in the confusion and chaos of the corona pandemic and the vaccine crisis. Bhutan, the only country in the world to have banned smoking, has allowed imports of tobacco products. The United States has removed tariffs on single malt whiskey.
This should have sent alarm bells ringing, especially in the World Health Organization. Drinking in moderation is frowned upon, but accepted as an aside. Smoking is a no-no, though it hasn’t been banned anywhere else. These are but two of the compromises made in the interest of freedom of choice, even at the cost of health. Prohibition has never worked, as the US found out nearly a century ago.
Overriding the advice of medical science, there are many such habits that are allowed by governments to continue simply because no mechanisms designed have been successful in stopping them.
In a pandemic, stepping on such rights is political suicide. In better times, it is both politically and economically so. Man is as much a creature of habit as are other species. It is arguable whether the carrot and stick approach will work. The war against drugs has essentially failed. Yes, there are the infrequent reports of heists of huge consignments thanks to a combination of the right money not having been paid, one supply group foiling another’s success, and the untiring efforts of the few elements that money can’t buy.
Here too, there has been compromise. “Softer” or “recreational” drugs are being legalized in some countries, and being considered in some states of America. Billions of dollars are spent in sniffing and snuffing out sources and supply chains and yet the trade continues to grow. As any marketer will vouch for, demand begets supply. Bangladesh is a classic example.
For all intents and purposes, the yaba menace continues to grow alongside the more traditional intoxicants. Some of the recent busts in Bangladesh expose the myth of humanism, given the lengths to which traffickers are resorting to. A section of doctors, government officers, and private citizens are abetting these operations as willing couriers.
For all the efforts of a plethora of international organizations, the South Asian chain that works both in India and Myanmar appears to be impenetrable. Myanmar’s infamous Golden Triangle that also connects Thailand and Vietnam is a known route that has never been disturbed.
One of the easiest excuses given for no country having withdrawn their embassy representation in Myanmar after the overthrow of an elected government has been geo-political strategy. Behind such “strategy” lies the all-important “economic” considerations. There was little surprise that shortly after a rift-repair visit by the Indian foreign secretary to Dhaka and an assurance of support for the Rohingya repatriation, he, accompanied by the Indian army chief, promptly went to Naypyidaw and signed an agreement for a gas pipeline!
People have died in the pillaging of Arakan territory. More are dying as they protest the military takeover. The international response has essentially been limited to outrage for now. There are murmurs of stronger measures in the offing.
The drug-producing countries and locations are fairly well known, but it’s a fair bet that there won’t be globally coordinated air strikes there. Nor will there be any regime-changing efforts. That isn’t part of the “strategy,” and will hurt “economics.” For the time being, people can sit back, have a drink or two, and a quiet smoke. After all, people die.
Mahmudur Rahman is a writer, columnist, broadcaster, and communications specialist.
