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{{Short description|Tablets combining methamphetamine and caffeine}}
{{Italic title}}{{multiple issues|
{{Original research|date=June 2010}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2010}}
}}{{Infobox drug
| image              = Yaba Tablet (Pill) (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Yaba tablets
| legal_US           = Schedule II<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yaba Fast Facts |url=https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs5/5048/index.htm |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=www.justice.gov}}</ref>
}}
'''''Ya ba''''' ({{langx|th|[[:wikt:ยาบ้า|ยาบ้า]]}}, {{langx|lo|ຢາບ້າ}}, literally 'crazy medicine') is a drug containing a mixture of [[methamphetamine]] and [[caffeine]].<ref name="NDIC">{{cite web|title=Yaba Fast Facts|url=https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs5/5048/index.htm|website=US National Drug Intelligence Center|publisher= National Drug Intelligence Center |date=June 2003 |access-date=2014-11-13}}</ref><ref name="2019-04-25-bbc">{{cite news | vauthors = Pressley L |date=25 April 2019 |title=Yaba: The cheap synthetic drug convulsing a nation |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-48041414 |work=BBC News |access-date=2019-04-25}}</ref> It was formerly known as ''yama'' ({{langx|th|[[:wikt:ยาม้า|ยาม้า]]}}; literally 'horse drug').  Although it is illegal, it has considerable use in Southeast Asia.<ref>{{cite news | vauthors = Hogan L |date=28 July 2018 |title=Myanmar's meth crisis reaches as far as Australia |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-29/myanmars-meth-crisis-reaches-australia/10044502 |work=ABC News}}</ref>
It is also known as "baba, guti, bedona, ishtup, apple, patthor, dana, poke, bichi, aeroplane, ghora and kalojori."
==Names==
The drug has gone by various names across time and locations.
In Thailand, it went by ''ya khayan'' ('hard-working pill'), then as ''ya maa'' ('horse medicine'), and then ''ya ba'' ('crazy pill') in 1996.<ref>{{cite news | vauthors = Glahan S |date=21 June 2016 |title=Time we shook off meth's criminal stigma |url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/archive/time-we-shook-off-meths-criminal-stigma/1015605 |work=Bangkok Post |access-date=2016-12-19}}</ref> According to an episode of the television series ''[[Drugs, Inc.]],'' it is commonly referred to in north Thailand as ''chocalee'', due to its alleged sweet taste and chocolatey smell.<ref>"Drugs Inc. Bangkok Ice" S7/Ep19 (2015)</ref> In [[Myanmar]] (formerly Burma), it is also called ''kyethi'' (literally, 'button'), ''athi'', and ''palarkar''.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} In Malaysia it is known as ''pil kuda'' (literally, 'horse pill').<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Chapter Four: The Golden Triangle {{!}} The Star|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/27/chapter-four-the-golden-triangle|access-date=2020-09-13|website=www.thestar.com.my}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web| vauthors = Iman K | date=2019-09-24|title=What is 'pil kuda' and why are so many Standard 4 kids using it?|url=https://cilisos.my/what-is-pil-kuda-and-why-are-so-many-standard-4-kids-using-it/|access-date=2020-09-13|website=CILISOS - Current Issues Tambah Pedas!|language=en-US}}</ref> The name commonly used for it in the Philippines and Indonesia is ''shabú''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=UN: Methamphetamine Output Booming in Southeast Asia {{!}} Voice of America - English|url=https://www.voanews.com/science-health/un-methamphetamine-output-booming-southeast-asia|access-date=2020-09-13|website=www.voanews.com|language=en}}</ref> The name commonly used for it in China is ''ma-goo'' or ''ma-guo''.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} In [[Bangladesh]], it is colloquially known as ''baba'', ''guti'', ''laal'', ''khawon'', ‘jinish ’, ''stuff'' or ''maal''.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} ''Ya ba'' is sometimes called ''bhul bhuliya'' in [[India]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}
According to the US [[National Drug Intelligence Center]], the drug is most commonly referred to in the US as "crazy medicine" and "[[Drug policy of Nazi Germany|Nazi]] speed".<ref name="NDIC" />
==Description and effects==
{{See also|Methamphetamine}}
''Ya ba'' is typically produced in a round pill form. There are many different versions of ''ya ba'', and the most common are red, pink, orange, or lime green in color and carry logos such as "R" or "WY".<ref name="NDIC" /> They are small and round, roughly {{convert|6|mm}} in diameter, which means they can be packed inside a plastic soda straw for easy transportation or in a reusable "mint" container.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}
''Ya ba'' tablets typically are consumed orally and are sometimes flavored like confectionery.<ref name="NDIC" /> Another method of consumption is [[chasing the dragon]], wherein the ''ya ba'' tablet is placed on aluminium foil and heated from below, which produces vapors that are then inhaled.<ref name="NDIC" /> The drug also may be administered by crushing the tablets into powder, which is then snorted or mixed with a solvent and injected.<ref name="NDIC" />
When swallowed in pill form the duration of the drug's effect is 8–16 hours, as compared to 1–3 hours when smoked, while the intensity is considerably reduced.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} The peak of the drug's effect is followed by a comedown period lasting 6–10 hours, during which the consumer may have difficulty sleeping or eating.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Many consumers report that it takes them up to 24 hours after consumption to be able to fall asleep.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}
Typical ''ya ba'' consumers are working males, aged 16–40 years. Its use is also common among both female and male sex workers in Thailand and Cambodia.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Maher L, Phlong P, Mooney-Somers J, Keo S, Stein E, Couture MC, Page K | title = Amphetamine-type stimulant use and HIV/STI risk behaviour among young female sex workers in Phnom Penh, Cambodia | journal = The International Journal on Drug Policy | volume = 22 | issue = 3 | pages = 203–209 | date = May 2011 | pmid = 21316935 | pmc = 3104095 | doi = 10.1016/j.drugpo.2011.01.003 }}</ref>
==Production==
Myanmar is the largest producer of Methamphetamine in the world, with the majority of ''ya ba'' found in Thailand being produced in Burma, particularly in the [[Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia)|Golden Triangle]] and northeastern [[Shan State]], which borders Thailand, Laos, and China.<ref name="thornton">{{cite news | vauthors = Thornton P |date=12 February 2012 |title=Myanmar's rising drug trade |url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/investigation/279434/myanmar-reforms-mask-meteoric-rise-in-drug-trade |work=Bangkok Post |access-date=2012-02-19}}</ref> In 2010, Burma trafficked 1&nbsp;billion tablets to neighbouring Thailand.<ref name="thornton"/> Ethnic militias and rebel groups (in particular the [[United Wa State Army]]) are responsible for much of this production; however, the Burmese military units are believed to be heavily involved in the trafficking of the drugs.<ref name="thornton"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Fire and Ice: Conflict and Drugs in Myanmar's Shan State |url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-east-asia/myanmar/299-fire-and-ice-conflict-and-drugs-myanmars-shan-state |date=8 January 2019 |website=International Crisis Group |access-date=2019-10-19 |format=Report Number 299}}</ref>
==Global usage==
{{See also|Legal status of methamphetamine}}
===Rise and fall in popularity in Thailand===
''Ya ba'' tablets were formerly sold legally at fuel stations and used by long-haul drivers to stay awake. The drug was outlawed by the Thai government in 1970.<ref name="ap22Sep2002">{{cite news | vauthors = Chu L |date=22 September 2002 |title=New club drug more dangerous than Ecstasy: Ya ba methamphetamine 'crazy drug' |work=Ventura County Star |agency=Associated Press |page=A09}}</ref>
Law enforcement officials said that as of 2002, most of the drug was produced by the United Wa State Army in Myanmar.<ref name="ap22Sep2002" /> It was smuggled from Myanmar across the porous border into Thailand. In 2014, it was reported that Thailand's northeast provinces have seen a 700% increase in the number of people arrested for meth since 2008, according to data from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau.<ref name=AJ1>{{cite news | vauthors = Presser L |date=1 December 2014 |title=Drug Addiction Grows on Thai Rubber Farms |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/11/drug-addiction-grows-thai-rubber-farms-2014113074454777879.html |work=Al Jazeera |access-date=2014-12-02}}</ref> In 2013, authorities counted more than 33,000 meth-related arrests in the northeast. The rapid growth of ''ya ba'' use in [[Isan]] mirrors that which occurred across Asia, which by 2014 accounted for more than 50 percent of global amphetamine-type stimulant consumers.<ref name=AJ1 />
On 16 June 2016, the [[National Council for Peace and Order]], the [[military junta]] ruling Thailand, stated that it was planning to decriminalise ''ya ba''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Justice Minister: ya ba should be excluded from list of narcotic drugs |url=http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/justice-minister-ya-ba-excluded-list-narcotic-drugs/ |work=[[Thai PBS]] |location=Bangkok |date=16 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622162156/http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/justice-minister-ya-ba-excluded-list-narcotic-drugs/ |archive-date=2016-06-22 |access-date=2016-06-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | vauthors = Winn P |date=8 September 2016 |title=Thailand is moving closer to decriminalizing meth |url=http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-09-07/thailand-moving-closer-decriminalizing-meth |publisher=Public Radio International (PRI) |access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref>
===Bangladesh===
In 2006, ''ya ba'' consumption became common for the poor. Although the extent of ''ya ba'' abuse in [[Bangladesh]] is not precisely known, seizures of the drug by authorities are frequent.<ref>{{cite news | vauthors = Sanaul IT |date=3 June 2013 |title=Bail rejected, 'Yaba king' Amyn Huda in jail |url=http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-amp-rights/2013/jun/03/bail-rejected-%E2%80%98yaba-king%E2%80%99-amyn-huda-jail |work=Dhaka Tribune |access-date=2014-11-13}}</ref><ref name="2019-04-25-bbc" /> It is also believed those who use it on a regular basis are frequently involved in the distribution of the drug, either directly or indirectly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bnionline.net/index.php/feature/kaladan/12209-smuggling-of-yaba-tablets-increasing-day-by-day-in-bangladesh.html |title=Smuggling of Yaba tablets increasing day-by-day in Bangladesh |publisher=Bnionline.net |date=4 December 2011 |access-date=2014-01-18}}</ref><ref name="unodc">{{cite web |url= http://www.unodc.org/documents/scientific/Global_SMART_UpdateV1_web.pdf |date=24 February 2009 | title = Global Smart Update | author=Kunnen |access-date=2014-05-31 | volume = 1 }}</ref>
Some Burmese [[Rohingya]] refugees are hired by drug dealers to smuggle ''ya ba'' from Myanmar into Bangladesh.<ref name="foreignaffairsthetroublewiththengarchar">{{cite news | vauthors = Kullab S |date=23 February 2017 |title=The Trouble With Thengar Char |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/bangladesh/2017-02-23/trouble-thengar-char?cid=nlc-fatoday-20170224&sp_mid=53497385&sp_rid=dmljdG9yLnN0ZXBpZW5AZ21haWwuY29tS0 |url-access=subscription |work=Foreign Affairs |access-date=2017-02-25}}</ref> In 2016, 359 Burmese were arrested on ''ya ba''-smuggling charges, and up to US$29 million worth of ''ya ba'' was seized by the Bangladeshi authorities.<ref name="foreignaffairsthetroublewiththengarchar"/>
In October 2018 the Bangladeshi government drafted a law which punishes a person who carries a minimum {{convert|200|g|oz|abbr=off}} of ''ya ba'' with capital punishment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-27 |title=Narcotics Control Bill passed with death penalty for dealing yaba |url=https://archive.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/parliament/2018/10/27/narcotics-control-bill-passed-death-penalty-for-smuggling-selling-yaba |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=Dhaka Tribune}}</ref>
===Other countries===
In Malaysia, it is commonly found in the state of [[Kelantan]], on the border with Thailand.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
In February 2010 it was reported that increasingly large quantities of ''ya ba'' were being smuggled into [[Israel]] by Thai migrant workers, leading to fears that its use would spread to the Israeli club scene, where ecstasy use is already common.<ref>{{cite news | vauthors = Lappin Y |date=2 February 2010 |title='Nazi speed' smuggled in huge amounts |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Nazi-speed-smuggled-in-huge-amounts |work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=2014-11-13}}</ref>
In 2003, the US National Drug Intelligence Center described the drug as having emerging popularity in Asian communities in the US, specifically in California.<ref name="NDIC" /> It was also described as an increasingly popular club drug.<ref name="NDIC" />
== References ==
{{Reflist|33em}}
== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite news | vauthors = Allard T |date=14 October 2019 |title=The hunt for Asia's El Chapo |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/meth-syndicate/ |work=Reuters}}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.recoverylane.com/ya_ba_.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060525205139/http://www.recoverylane.com/ya_ba_.htm | archive-date = 25 May 2006 | title = New Drug Seeping into California Communities | work = The [[Associated Press]] | date = 22 September 2002 }}
* {{cite web | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7063434.stm | title = Dhaka Police in "Huge" Drugs Haul | work = BBC News | date = 26 October 2007 }}
* {{cite web | url = https://theculturetrip.com/asia/thailand/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-yaba-the-madness-medicine/ | title = Everything You Need to Know About YABA | work = Culture Trip | date = 30 May 2017 }}
{{refend}}
{{Methamphetamine}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ya Ba}}
[[Category:Methamphetamine]]
[[Category:Society of Thailand]]
[[Category:Drugs in Thailand]]
[[Category:Crime in Thailand]]
[[Category:Caffeine]]
[[Category:Polysubstance combinations]]