Myanmar has taken the initiative in addressing the drug problem by launching the 15-Year Drug Elimination Plan since 1999 with three 5-year phases. The first 5-year phase of this plan ended in 2004 and we are now into the second 5-year phase.

The target activities for the first 5-year phase had been successfully achieved and the success can be attributed to the serious commitment of the Government, close monitoring and supervision.

The New Destiny Project has been launched since April 2002.

The amount of opium and heroin that has been seized has reduced from 7800 kilos of opium and 1400 kilos of heroin in 1997 to only 600 kilos of opium and 970 kilos of heroin in 2004 attesting to the reduction in the poppy cultivation and opium production activities.

Although poppy cultivation and opium production has been reduced in Myanmar, the danger of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) has emerged as a new drug threat. The first seizure of ATS occurred in 1996 in Myanmar and an increasing trend in the seizure amount is noticed. To cite some figures, 2001 was a record setting year for seizure of ATS; in that year more than 32 million of ATS tablets were seized. In terms of the proportion of townships where ATS seizures were recorded, ATS seizures were made in 100 townships out of the 383 townships in the whole of Myanmar representing over 26.1 % of the townships in Myanmar.

Ref: The New Light of Myanmar June 27, 2005