By Genalyn Kabiling NONTHABURI, Thailand — Asia Pacific leaders have vowed to implement “concerted and sustained actions," including intensified border patrol, to combat the spread of illegal drugs amid concerns about the "alarming" growth of the illicit trade. East Asia Summit group (ASEAN photo) Eighteen Leaders of the East Asia Summit (EAS) have agreed to boost cooperation across judicial, law enforcement and health sectors to eliminate the global drug problem during their meeting in Thailand. The EAS group includes the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States of America. In a statement, the EAS leaders have expressed “grave concern” about the alarming growth of the illegal global drug trade, including the use of the dark web, and its impact on the health and welfare of the people. The leaders have reaffirmed their "shared commitment to effectively address and counter the world drug problem through concerted and sustained actions at the national and international levels, including accelerating the implementation of all existing drug policy commitments.” All aspects of demand reduction and related measures, supply reduction and related measures will also be addressed “in a balanced manner.” The group also committed to "strengthen international cooperation across judicial, law enforcement agencies, and health sectors to prevent, significantly reduce, and work toward the elimination of illicit crop cultivation, the production, manufacture, and distribution of, trafficking in, and abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances, and the diversion of their precursor chemicals." They vowed to step up regional border management cooperation to safeguard the region against the threats posed by illicit drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations. Information and communications technology companies will also be tapped to help detect and disrupt online marketing and sales of illicit drugs, and to prevent the use of virtual currencies in those illicit transactions. The group agreed to share information and take measures “to effectively and in a timely manner identify, trace, freeze, seize and confiscate assets and proceeds of drug-related crime," To promote the health and welfare of the people, the group pledged to facilitate healthy lifestyles through effective, comprehensive, scientific evidence-based demand reduction initiatives. These measures include drug prevention, early intervention, treatment, care, recovery, rehabilitation, and social integration. The “United Nations ToolKit on Synthetic Drugs” will also be taken into consideration as a self-assessment tool that allows countries to address drug challenges. The group is also considering the use of the Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program’s (CP/DAP) capacity building initiatives to train and accredit the prevention, treatment, and recovery workforce in evidence-based practices, if applicable to the country’s context. The EAS leaders have also committed to develop and implement countermeasures and supportive public health, education and socioeconomic strategies to combat non-medical use and misuse of drugs that contain narcotic and psychotropic substances. Pharmaceuticals meant for "legitimate purposes," on the other hand, will be made available but efforts must be in place to prevent its diversion, trafficking and misuse. The group will also enhance national monitoring and evaluation efforts to measure the effectiveness and impact of the activities implemented against drug use. They will also step up efforts to respond to challenges posed by increasing links between drug trafficking, corruption, and other forms of organized crimes.