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Police in Tokyo said Thursday they have arrested the 24-year-old driver of a car that hit a woman in Shibuya. The woman, in her 20s, has been in a coma since the accident, TBS reported.
Police said the driver, identified as Masao Watabe, a part-time worker from Kawasaki, has admitted to having smoked a herb just before the accident which occurred at around 5:30 p.m. on May 3. After going through a red light and hitting the woman at an intersection, Watabe crashed into three other vehicles, police said.
Police said they found traces of the herb in Watabe's car after thew accident.
The smoking of “haabu” (herbs), or loophole drugs, sometimes containing hallucinogens, has been a growing problem in Japan in recent years. The unregulated products have caused serious health problems, and even death, while the law has been struggling to catch up.
Last year, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare changed the legal designation of 775 quasi-legal drugs in a plan to combat the growing use of these “herbs” containing 90 separate stimulants and hallucinogens.
© Japan Today
10 Comments
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sincerely999
The growing use of these herbs will make many victims of traffic accidents. Never grip the steering after smoking!
khulifi
He should be kept working in jail all his life to pay for the medication and care of this poor women.
clueless
Loophole drug? I have never heard anything so ridiculous. He was driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs. If it can be proven that any such drink or drug can effect performance then that should be enough to jail him. So he gets off and that poor woman.....well?
Magnus Roe
Loophole drug? I have never heard anything so ridiculous. He was driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs. If it can be proven that any such drink or drug can effect performance then that should be enough to jail him. So he gets off and that poor woman.....well?
They probably mean that the drug is in a loophole what concerns usage or possession. Drugs don't have to be illegal to bar people from driving.
nath
What was the guy actually charged with? I can't find it.
Brian Sutton
Well again here is Japan with their loopholes... Come on Japan, get with the rest of world on things...
spucky
I hate it when People suffer because of a hedonistic Desire but we need to see the Problem: The War on Drugs lead to more dangerous Drugs as we can see with this synthetical mimicking THC!
There is no Way to fight the use of Drugs, we need Education in our Schools where the Kids learn to understand the Dangers!
Abusive Drug use is bad but the abuse of synthetical Drugs (Research Chemicals) is Horror!
ham21
Drug education is good and necessary, good parental example is better and critical. Not saying either or both will stop all drug use but it sure can help.
goodchoice
Nobody would go for a loophole drug if safer drugs were legal.
Full speed ahead...in the wrong direction.
nath
Japanese Loophole Drugs are Designer Drugs in New Zealand.
Recall a recent article?