Yaba, the 'crazy medicine' of East Asia

Yaba, the 'crazy medicine' of East Asia

By Dr.Fourkan Ali

Yaba, or 'crazy medicine' in Thai, is a tablet form of methamphetamine, and a very powerful stimulant. Introduced to East Asia during World War II to enhance soldiers' performance, methamphetamine has become increasingly popular in East Asia, particularly among young people. Yaba is now the main form of methamphetamine abused in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia as well as Viet Nam and Myanmar, where it is typically manufactured.

Mixed with caffeine and usually 30 per cent methamphetamine, the drug is a central nervous system stimulant. Although it comes in a pill form, yaba is usually crushed and smoked. Users get an intense 'burst' of energy, followed by increased activity, decreased appetite and a general sense of well-being. Once the effects wear off, the user 'crashes' and experiences prolonged periods of sleep and depression.

Like other forms of methamphetamine, long-term abuse of yaba can produce strong dependence. Users develop tolerance and require increasing amounts of the drug to feel the same effects. Excessive doses can result in convulsions, seizures and death from respiratory failure, stroke or heart failure. The drug can trigger aggressive and violent behaviour, and psychiatric disorders have also been associated with its use.

Traditionally used by occupational workers such as truck drivers, the use of yaba in East Asia shifted into youth culture about 20 years ago. Starting in Thailand and spreading into Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam, yaba consumers in the region are now estimated in the millions. Recently, the drug has been spreading toward the Indian subcontinent; in 2007, a record 1,200,000 yaba tablets were confiscated in Bangladesh where there is a potentially very large market. 

The development and spread of yaba in the region has been opportunistic. As UNODC expert Jeremy Douglas explains, "it is a drug that is cheap to manufacture and cheap to purchase. You introduce it somewhere and develop a market fairly quickly because it is cheap and highly addictive." With one tablet costing as little as US$ 1 in Cambodia to US$ 5 in Bangkok, the drug is very easy to produce if in possession of the necessary precursor materials. "You can have labs producing 10,000 tablets per hour hidden anywhere", he adds.

Unlike geographically confined, crop-based drugs, such as opium in Afghanistan, synthetic drugs like yaba can be produced anywhere in the world where there are weaknesses in law enforcement and in precursor chemical regulations. The portable and clandestine nature of production also makes it difficult to monitor and assess the situation systematically. "At the moment the information base is quite fractured", says Douglas. "In some parts of the world, we know it is there - we just don't know the extent to which it is."

To help address the issue, UNODC is launching the Global Synthetics Monitoring: Analysis, Reporting and Trends (SMART) Programme. Set up in hotspots and key priority regions of the world, SMART teams will assess data and information, thus enabling countries to strategically plan prevention and law enforcement responses. 

Profile

Yaba, the Thai word for "crazy medicine," is a tablet form of methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant. These synthetically produced pills contain 25 to 35 mg of methamphetamine and 45 to 65 mg of caffeine. Tablets are available in a variety of flavors (including grape, orange, and vanilla) and colors (most commonly reddish-orange or green). Various logos (commonly "WY" or "R") adorn yaba tablets, which are the size of the end of a drinking straw. Yaba looks and tastes so much like candy that many young users (often including ecstasy users) underestimate its harmfulness¹. Methamphetamine is also available in powder ("crystal") form, which can be processed into a rock ("ice") or liquid form.

History

Methamphetamine was derived from amphetamine in Japan in 1919. Both of these chemicals were originally used in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers. Methamphetamine has also been used in the treatment of obesity. During World War II, military in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and Japan used methamphetamines to fight fatigue and enhance performance. After the war, when military methamphetamine supplies became available to the public, abuse of intravenous methamphetamine became an epidemic in Japan. During the 1950s in the United States, methamphetamine tablets were legally manufactured, and used nonmedically by students, truck drivers, and athletes. In 1970, the Controlled Substance Act restricted the use of methamphetamine and made it a Schedule II substance². Since yaba contains methamphetamine, it is also illegal³.

Today, the United Wa State Army, the largest drug trafficking organization in Burma, is the primary manufacturer of yaba in Southeast Asia; Thailand is the primary market for these tablets. Yaba is a recent phenomenon in the United States, although it has been popular in Southeast and East Asia for some time. Methamphetamine tablets are sent primarily by mail to northern California and the Los Angeles area, and although the demand for yaba appears to be primarily in Asian communities, popularity is increasing among rave attendees⁴.

Methods of Use

The most common method of using yaba is oral ingestion. Tablets can also be crushed into a powder and either snorted or mixed with a liquid and injected. In addition, tablets can be heated on aluminum foil to produce a vapor. The vapor is then inhaled⁵.

Effects

Yaba is a powerful central nervous system stimulant with longer lasting effects than those of cocaine. This is because cocaine is metabolized in the body more quickly than methamphetamine. Effects produced by yaba will be dependent on the dose taken⁶. Some effects include:

Euphoria

Insomnia

Irritability and aggression

Decreased appetite and nausea

Hot flashes, dry mouth, and sweating

Damage to the small blood vessels in the brain

Increased alertness, wakefulness, and physical activity

Increased heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and body temperature⁷

Effects of chronic abuse include:

Tremors

Hypertension

Hallucinations

Psychotic episodes

Paranoid delusions

Violent behavior

Hyperthermia and convulsions

Agitation, anxiety, and nervousness

Mental confusion and memory loss

Psychosis similar to schizophrenia (characterized by paranoia, picking at the skin, self absorption, and visual and auditory hallucinations)⁸

Addiction/Tolerance/Withdrawal

Methamphetamine in all forms is very dangerous and has a high potential for abuse and dependence. Moderate to chronic use of yaba and other methamphetamines may lead to physical and psychological dependence, and even death⁹. Abuse is characterized by consuming increasingly higher dosages during a period of 3 to 10 days with no sleep, in an attempt to maintain the initial high. However, no amount of the drug can achieve this effect so users may become frustrated, unpredictable, and violent¹⁰. When an individual goes through withdrawal from high doses of yaba, as well as all other forms of methamphetamine, severe depression often results¹¹.

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Published The daily News Today

30 October 2017