Singapore's Nguyen drugs claim disputed
Singapore's Nguyen drugs claim disputed
A prominent drug researcher has rejected the Singapore government's claim Nguyen Tuong Van was carrying enough heroin to ruin 26,000 lives.
Nguyen, who is due to be executed on December 2, was caught at Singapore's Changi airport in 2002 with almost 400g of heroin.
The speaker of the Singapore parliament, Abdullah Tarmugi, wrote in a letter to his Australian counterpart David Hawker that Nguyen knew the consequences of his actions, which would have supplied "enough for more than 26,000 doses of heroin for drug addicts".
But Melbourne University Associate Professor John Fitzgerald said, based on estimations of about 30 per cent purity at a street level, the heroin was enough for 6,000 to 8,000 doses - enough to supply just six to eight dependent users in one year.
He said Singapore's figures were "just plainly inconsistent with the way we understand the drug market."
"So any sense that the punishment fits the crime needs to be very much reconsidered," he said.
The 26,000 doses claimed in the letter, based on estimates that heavy users inject 17 times a week, would only service the needs of 26 heavy dependent heroin users over a year, he said.
Dr Fitzgerald added that not all heroin consumers had their lives ruined.
"We know that the proportion of people who have to seek treatment because of their heroin use is anywhere from 10 to 30 per cent of the total heroin use population," he said.
"There seems to be an overestimation of the impact of law enforcement on the heroin market at present."
A prominent drug researcher has rejected the Singapore government's claim Nguyen Tuong Van was carrying enough heroin to ruin 26,000 lives.
Nguyen, who is due to be executed on December 2, was caught at Singapore's Changi airport in 2002 with almost 400g of heroin.
The speaker of the Singapore parliament, Abdullah Tarmugi, wrote in a letter to his Australian counterpart David Hawker that Nguyen knew the consequences of his actions, which would have supplied "enough for more than 26,000 doses of heroin for drug addicts".
But Melbourne University Associate Professor John Fitzgerald said, based on estimations of about 30 per cent purity at a street level, the heroin was enough for 6,000 to 8,000 doses - enough to supply just six to eight dependent users in one year.
He said Singapore's figures were "just plainly inconsistent with the way we understand the drug market."
"So any sense that the punishment fits the crime needs to be very much reconsidered," he said.
The 26,000 doses claimed in the letter, based on estimates that heavy users inject 17 times a week, would only service the needs of 26 heavy dependent heroin users over a year, he said.
Dr Fitzgerald added that not all heroin consumers had their lives ruined.
"We know that the proportion of people who have to seek treatment because of their heroin use is anywhere from 10 to 30 per cent of the total heroin use population," he said.
"There seems to be an overestimation of the impact of law enforcement on the heroin market at present."
posted by darrnot at
5:31 PM
3 Comments:
Okay. Maybe heroin traffickers don't ruin lives as quickly as serial killers. But should they be allowed to live for the rest of lives behind bars at the expense of the taxpayers' money?
By
Mockingbird, at 1:09 PM
if economic reasons are behind the use of death penalty, the government should openly say explain so. Then we can debate whether it is fair to deny someone the right of life because of money.
I believe SG prisoners are put to work inside prisons. Changi prison has the largest laundry service in SE Asia, Telephone operators, tailoring, silkscreen printing, bookbinding, laundering, copper tooling, carpentry and breadmaking. etc etc. They can contribute while inside to pay for their cost of imprisonment. And if they are rehabilitated successfully, they can re-integrate into society and contribute more. We have to give them a chance to make good. We should believe in rehabilitation.
Excerpt from http://www.keshvani.org/CONTENT/print/changi.html
Vocational Skills
There is ample opportunity for inmates to get adjusted to working life. Changi Prison boasts the largest laundry in Southeast Asia and is responsible for cleaning bedsheets for the SAF and most local hospitals. Various work areas are set up to inculcate strong work ethics and discipline in the offender. His ability to hold on to a job will serve as a stable foundation for the reintegration of the offender into society.
Through SCORE’s work programme; inmates are involved in the following industries: tailoring, silkscreen printing, bookbinding, laundering, copper tooling, carpentry and breadmaking. While touring the laundry, we discovered the close but firm relationship of inmates with their warders when one of them quietly approached ASP Mahalingam for a quiet conversation.
"Wardens not only inculcate and maintain discipline but double up as counsellors and try to help inmates where possible. We must understand they are within confined surroundings and we are their link to their families," he adds. EDUCATION Academic or vocational education is available to all offenders to upgrade their educational level and skills. Academic classes are conducted by teachers seconded from the Ministry of Education as well as part-time teachers.
BEST courses, GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ level classes enable inmates to acquire degrees and diplomas during their stint in prison. "One inmate is even pursuing a degree. We always support and encourage them to continue studying," said ASP Mahalingam. Inmates’ earnings from their various job vocations are automatically channelled to their POSBank accounts. They can use this money to support their families or pay for examination fees.
By
darrnot, at 2:21 PM
Socially, exaggeration is often whimsical. But when a government dramatically inflates numbers to help justify a death sentence, the integrity of both the trial and its governing body becomes questionable. In this case, the government is Singapore, the trial was for Van Tuong Nguyen, and the bloated number is 26,000.
Press from around the world quotes Abdullah Tarmugi, the Speaker of Singapore Parliament, in writing about the potential consequences of Van's actions, "almost 400 grams of pure heroin, enough for more than 26,000 doses."
But how was 26,000 doses (or "hits") derived?
It turns out that what constitutes a hit of heroin is not an easy thing to count. There are dozens of factors to consider; contact your local Needle Exchange for a comprehensive list. However, after collecting statistics from over a dozen sources (including police reports, narcotics web sites, health information, and workers from needle exchanges), the number of hits from a gram of pure heroin averages out to little more than 14.
Van Tuong Nguyen trafficked 396.2 grams of heroin into Singapore. This is approximately 5,600 doses.
The numbers 5,600 and 26,000 are obviously incongruous, as are reports that 400 grams of heroin would "ruin 26,000 lives". In fact, 400 grams of heroin would not come close to ruining even 5,600 lives. Rather, the heroin would most likely supply people already abusing it. With a little more research, we can estimate how many lives would be adversely affected by 400 grams of heroin during one year:
As many as 67, and as few as 6.
Van Tuong Nguyen would not have sent 26,000 people to their deaths from 400 grams of heroin. Nor would the lives of 26,000 people have been ruined. Far more likely is that six people would get a year's worth of hits. And for this he must hang?
Call it dreadful, call it dense, call it incomprehensible ... but do not call it justice.
Sincerely,
Dave Jarvis
By
Dave, at 2:12 AM
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