Drug use prevention campaign
Enforcement of the anti-stimulant drugs law in Japan can be very severe. Quoting UK's Foreign Commonwealth Office site:
And although there are cases where it was found that Narita airport customs' officers planted small quantities of drugs on passengers' luggage to train sniffer dogs, the usual official stance when it comes to drugs is "ダメ、ぜったい" (Absolutely no).
Recently, there were many cases on the media of people busted for illegal drug possession. Of course, to reach the media in this intensity, those were not just "normal people"... at least not for Japanese standards.
Cases related to sumo wrestlers, especially those who already have a certain reputation, are bound to reach the news. Sumo was almost a sacred sport in past generations, and it is still very important nowadays, with any scandal related to the sumo world reaching the headlines.
Considering how Japanese society values the groups one belongs to, when students from prestigious universities are arrested by drug possesion it also becomes news. And recently whose news are on the rise, with students from universities like Keio, Waseda and Tokyo busted.
Actually, since the Tokyo case involved an international student, there was some aprehension that foreigners in general would get the blame (as it sometimes happens for foreigners are also seen as a group in some cases). Fortunately, it didn't happen as far as I could sense. Not that placing the responsibility mainly on the university is any better in my opinion.
And there was also a case on the university I study, Kyoto University. After I read that, I was wondering how long it would take for students to receive a notification with some sort of drug use prevention message.
I received such message, but some points of it made me think...
The weirdest of all is when they evoked "human rights":
「日常の様々な行動の中で、人権の尊重や法令遵守の重要性を自覚し、良識ある行動をとりましょう。」
Roughly translated as:
"In our everyday acts, let's be conscious of the importance of respect for human rights and observance to laws, taking sensible actions."
I'm awful in translation, so probably the meaning became weirder than the original message. Still, I checked The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and couldn't find an obvious link to the drug problem. I wonder if it's because I'm not good in Law or if the word "human rights" is becoming banalized in Japan as "sexual harassment" is becoming in a certain way...
However, they did address one important point in this question. Some of my previous links also point that many people try drugs incited by friends or seniors. The message also mentions to be careful about those situations and to have the courage to say "no".
I have to admit it's a good initiative about the drug problem. Still, it would be a good idea to investigate the full reasons why students try illegal drugs. That's a hard thing to survey.
Well, it's not a simple question and I don't have a full picture on how things work in Japan (not even in Brazil to tell the truth).
What makes me wonder more - and I am not saying the drug problem is not serious - is that I really don't think there was a sudden boom in consumption (although I do believe in a steady increase). Instead, the media attention has turned to this topic. That might also put more pressure on the authorities that do more throughout checks, resulting in even more people busted. Anyway, it's hard to believe that all those cases being broadcasted coincidently just happened in the last months.
So what was the factor that turned the media's attention to that problem?
-----
Added on March 2nd:
I had to rectify myself in some point. Although I don't think there was a sudden boom in consumption of drugs, I do believe that it has been increasing over the years. A US report seems to agree with me. That leads to a second question: why comsumption is on the rise? That question is valid not only for Japan, but in many places people are turning to drugs and stimulants...
Detention for minor offences can be longer than in the UK, and prison regimes in Japan are very strict. Japan has a zero tolerance policy towards drug crime and there are severe penalties for drug offences, however minor. Detection facilities at airports and post offices are effective. There have been a number of cases of small quantities of cannabis being sent through the mail to Britons living in Japan, which have resulted in the arrest and detention of the recipients. Japanese Police have been known to require customers of bars to give samples for drug trace testing. Tests proving positive lead to arrest and prosecution, even if the drug was taken before arrival in Japan.
The use or possession of Vicks inhalers and some other common prescription and over-the-counter medicines (e.g. for allergies and sinus problems) are banned under Japan’s strictly enforced anti-stimulant drugs law. Customs officials may not be sympathetic if you claim ignorance about these medicines. If in doubt, check with the nearest Japanese Embassy before visiting Japan.
And although there are cases where it was found that Narita airport customs' officers planted small quantities of drugs on passengers' luggage to train sniffer dogs, the usual official stance when it comes to drugs is "ダメ、ぜったい" (Absolutely no).
Recently, there were many cases on the media of people busted for illegal drug possession. Of course, to reach the media in this intensity, those were not just "normal people"... at least not for Japanese standards.
Cases related to sumo wrestlers, especially those who already have a certain reputation, are bound to reach the news. Sumo was almost a sacred sport in past generations, and it is still very important nowadays, with any scandal related to the sumo world reaching the headlines.
Considering how Japanese society values the groups one belongs to, when students from prestigious universities are arrested by drug possesion it also becomes news. And recently whose news are on the rise, with students from universities like Keio, Waseda and Tokyo busted.
Actually, since the Tokyo case involved an international student, there was some aprehension that foreigners in general would get the blame (as it sometimes happens for foreigners are also seen as a group in some cases). Fortunately, it didn't happen as far as I could sense. Not that placing the responsibility mainly on the university is any better in my opinion.
And there was also a case on the university I study, Kyoto University. After I read that, I was wondering how long it would take for students to receive a notification with some sort of drug use prevention message.
I received such message, but some points of it made me think...
The weirdest of all is when they evoked "human rights":
「日常の様々な行動の中で、人権の尊重や法令遵守の重要性を自覚し、良識ある行動をとりましょう。」
Roughly translated as:
"In our everyday acts, let's be conscious of the importance of respect for human rights and observance to laws, taking sensible actions."
I'm awful in translation, so probably the meaning became weirder than the original message. Still, I checked The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and couldn't find an obvious link to the drug problem. I wonder if it's because I'm not good in Law or if the word "human rights" is becoming banalized in Japan as "sexual harassment" is becoming in a certain way...
However, they did address one important point in this question. Some of my previous links also point that many people try drugs incited by friends or seniors. The message also mentions to be careful about those situations and to have the courage to say "no".
I have to admit it's a good initiative about the drug problem. Still, it would be a good idea to investigate the full reasons why students try illegal drugs. That's a hard thing to survey.
Well, it's not a simple question and I don't have a full picture on how things work in Japan (not even in Brazil to tell the truth).
What makes me wonder more - and I am not saying the drug problem is not serious - is that I really don't think there was a sudden boom in consumption (although I do believe in a steady increase). Instead, the media attention has turned to this topic. That might also put more pressure on the authorities that do more throughout checks, resulting in even more people busted. Anyway, it's hard to believe that all those cases being broadcasted coincidently just happened in the last months.
So what was the factor that turned the media's attention to that problem?
-----
Added on March 2nd:
I had to rectify myself in some point. Although I don't think there was a sudden boom in consumption of drugs, I do believe that it has been increasing over the years. A US report seems to agree with me. That leads to a second question: why comsumption is on the rise? That question is valid not only for Japan, but in many places people are turning to drugs and stimulants...
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