We are now studying the concept,” Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday in response to reports that his government was preparing to remove meth from category 1, the most serious substance in the controlled-substance list.

The annual special session, attended by UN member states, called for the rethinking of drug prohibition on a global scale.

However, Thailand would definitely take into account domestic factors in deciding whether to embrace this concept.

While some countries had found success in curbing the scourge of drugs by focusing on harm reduction rather than a total crackdown, things might work differently here.

“If our context doesn’t change, we won’t be able to adopt their approach. Even with laws on the books, we are still unable to control drugs,” he said.

Boonchai Somboonsook, secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said the classification of meth would depend on government policy.

“When the FDA first put methamphetamine or amphetamine in the most dangerous drug category, the move was also in response to political office-holders,” he said.

If meth is removed from that category, it will very likely be because the government wants to ease prison overcrowding and facilitate drug abusers’ access to rehabilitation.

“But in that case, we also have to check if that works in fulfilling the big goal of reducing drug abuse,” he said.

Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya will meet with authorities next week to discuss the new approach towards illicit drugs.

Even if meth is removed from the most dangerous category, it will not become widely available.

“If it shares the same category as medicines containing pseudoephedrine, it will be available in hospitals and clinics only as prescription drugs,” he said.

“Or if it shares the category of sleeping pills, we will still check their sales at pharmacies,” he said.

Ladawan Wongsriwong, a former deputy labour minister, attacked the idea of decriminalising meth.

“Has the government forgotten about the plight of so many people who have suffered at the hands of this type of drug?” she said.

Does the government want to use the brisk trade in meth to stimulate the sluggish economy, she wondered?

Most countries treat meth as illegal for possession, sale, transport and production.

In Italy, it is only for personal use and science, while in the United States, it is legal if it is prescribed at the federal level and medicinal enforcement varies by jurisdiction.