Bangkok launches major drug prevention initiative with urine tests

[webfact]

Bangkok is set to launch a significant drug prevention and control initiative today, July 12, with the capitol’s governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, directing district offices to coordinate with local police stations for urine testing in 88 communities identified as high-risk for drug abuse, aiming to bring users into treatment programs.

 

During an online Zoom meeting at the Bangkok City Hall, Chadchart chaired the Committee of the Bangkok Narcotics Control and Suppression Centre (BNCSSC).

 

The meeting included key officials such as the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Bangkok, Chatri Watthanakhachon, representatives from the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Health Department, district offices, and other related parties.

 

The 58 year old Bangkok chief emphasised the urgency for relevant agencies to conduct urine testing in community areas. This directive aligns with the prime minister’s orders during the mobile Cabinet meeting in Nakhon Ratchasima.

The initiative will see district offices collaborate with local police stations, the Bangkok Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), and public health service centres to perform urine tests and identify drug users for entry into treatment programs. The operation will commence from this Friday onwards.

 

The project will involve urine testing for individuals aged 12 to 65 years living in communities participating in the Sustainable Strong Community project, covering 88 communities. Furthermore, urine testing will also be conducted in the Community Based Treatment (CBTx) project, which includes 285 communities in total.

 

Individuals deemed at risk of drug use, those previously uncooperative in treatment, those who have relapsed after psychiatric treatment for drug abuse, or those under probation or recently released from prison or juvenile detention, will be targeted for testing.

 

The initiative also includes providing social rehabilitation through the CBTx process or referrals to medical facilities. The agencies involved are required to report the number of individuals tested and the number of patients admitted to treatment by July 31 on the Office of Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment’s website.

 

Additionally, urine testing will be conducted for at-risk students in 73 schools within monitored community areas, with schools also required to report their findings on the same website.

 

by Ryan Turner

Image courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-07-12

 

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[ezzra]

Boy, that is a LOT of urine, so what now? they gonna stop people in the street and ask them to pee into a testing tube

or drag them to the police station to do it? either way, too little too late and it's not a workable method to control

the use of drugs...

[fondue zoo]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

Boy, that is a LOT of urine, so what now?

 

Yes, but it will all be kept in the same bucket.

[brianthainess]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

aged 12 to 65 years

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Additionally, urine testing will be conducted for at-risk students in 73 schools

12 yrs old my god, will that not require a guardian to be present ? 

[brianthainess]

I remember our yearly school medicals don't they have them in Thailand, they could do a piss test then. Class A Drugs are out of control here. I wish they would do a check on guns and weapons, that is needed more IMO.

[MalcolmB]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Boy, that is a LOT of urine, so what now? they gonna stop people in the street and ask them to pee into a testing tube

 

They already do that in Thailand, usually around factory areas at going home times.

it is an effective deterrent.

a lot of employers also have unannounced random tests for workers which is also a good deterrent.

 

they should do it at schools also. 

[wombat]

I can't find what drug they are testing for in anything he said?

[wombat]

3 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

 

Yes, but it will all be kept in the same bucket.

Saves on test kits.

[Brn2Trvl]

Welcome to New China.

[ronster]

This seems to have ramped up from those caught with drugs or tested positive for drugs being sent to treatment centres.

Doing what they say here will fill these so called centres to the max and I'm wondering who owns them , where they are and who pays for the treatments .

I'm sure someone somewhere is about to get a whole lot richer !

[hotchilli]

31 minutes ago, wombat said:

I can't find what drug they are testing for in anything he said?

Any substance abuse... 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

they should do it at schools also. 

 

Somewhat hypocritical from the guy who condones drink driving...   

[ignore it]

Taking the pizz ain't they

[Marco51]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Bangkok is set to launch a significant drug prevention and control initiative today, July 12, with the capitol’s governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, directing district offices to coordinate with local police stations for urine testing in 88 communities identified as high-risk for drug abuse, aiming to bring users into treatment programs.

 

During an online Zoom meeting at the Bangkok City Hall, Chadchart chaired the Committee of the Bangkok Narcotics Control and Suppression Centre (BNCSSC).

 

The meeting included key officials such as the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Bangkok, Chatri Watthanakhachon, representatives from the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Health Department, district offices, and other related parties.

 

The 58 year old Bangkok chief emphasised the urgency for relevant agencies to conduct urine testing in community areas. This directive aligns with the prime minister’s orders during the mobile Cabinet meeting in Nakhon Ratchasima.

The initiative will see district offices collaborate with local police stations, the Bangkok Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), and public health service centres to perform urine tests and identify drug users for entry into treatment programs. The operation will commence from this Friday onwards.

 

The project will involve urine testing for individuals aged 12 to 65 years living in communities participating in the Sustainable Strong Community project, covering 88 communities. Furthermore, urine testing will also be conducted in the Community Based Treatment (CBTx) project, which includes 285 communities in total.

 

Individuals deemed at risk of drug use, those previously uncooperative in treatment, those who have relapsed after psychiatric treatment for drug abuse, or those under probation or recently released from prison or juvenile detention, will be targeted for testing.

 

The initiative also includes providing social rehabilitation through the CBTx process or referrals to medical facilities. The agencies involved are required to report the number of individuals tested and the number of patients admitted to treatment by July 31 on the Office of Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment’s website.

 

Additionally, urine testing will be conducted for at-risk students in 73 schools within monitored community areas, with schools also required to report their findings on the same website.

 

by Ryan Turner

Image courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-07-12

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

So the underlying principle is : "everybody is guilty until proven innocent, no civil rights required to check citizens against their consent"..........................and nobody seems to even think twice about this.

Mnors down to 12 years, elderly up to 65, women pee in cups probably under the observation of male cops , farang too?, male and female?, all ages? where will this happen? In the streets , pubs, restaurants, bars, cinemas.....daytime or only for people who dare to walk the city at night?  China is getting closer daily ! And as Huawei is running the G5 network, we don't really have to worry about our communication any more either, only wether the Chinese will allow the Thais to participate in the observation.

[thesetat2013]

I am constantly reading about random drug checks when the police raid bars and parties. Always those who tested positive for drugs are subsequently charged with crimes. Thailand has laws about this that it is illegal to have drugs in your system. So, pray tell, what is to stop the police from accessing those test results and going after each person who tested positive? 

 

[thesetat2013]

14 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Any substance abuse... 

Wrong. Any substance use. Period. 

[hotchilli]

10 minutes ago, thesetat2013 said:

Wrong. Any substance use. Period. 

Right... Prescribed substance use is legal..
Substance abuse is not

[Skeptic7]

Idiotic, inept police state. 

[Dart12]

this is scary:  invoking a right to go after anyone anytime with no viable reason.  This is not forcing tests on all people in a club at 5 am . (I think this is also principally wrong).

You can never stop users (or even selling for that matter).  So this is NOT about helping people.  

This is about opening a door to personal rights violation under the guise of "help".

As for "who" won't  get the tests.  Idk.  

But I know who definitely WILL.  Non asian foreigners.  I got stopped at a checkpoint 2 nights ago.  Helmet on, etc etc.  

However, it was really not a checkpoint...it was a foreigner mouse trap lol. All asians waived thru, helmet no helmet etc.  I was of course quickly whistled in for my test.

This feels more like a power and neck to throat law than anything to help anyone.  I wouldn't even doubt it if the higher ups out there selling the goods to get people nabbed.  (more possible than ever thought in usa now thats for sure)

[Dart12]

8 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Right... Prescribed substance use is legal..
Substance abuse is not

right. You can abuse any similar  drugs their friends profit from. 

[john donson]

a urine (drinking?) prevention scheme ?

 

how do you prevent with a urine test?

 

forced treatment, who pays ?

[kingstonkid]

4 hours ago, brianthainess said:

 

12 yrs old my god, will that not require a guardian to be present ? 

12-18 is easy just do it at schoo.

 

 

[impulse]

If they don't exclude foreigners, I can just see the first few influencers decimating tourism to Thailand.

 

"Got stopped at random while shopping and had to pee in a jar..."

 

 

 

[brianthainess]

1 minute ago, kingstonkid said:

12-18 is easy just do it at schoo.

 

 

Yes it is but the police should not be doing it to children, it should be medical professionals, with a guardian present at all times. 

[artotle]

8 hours ago, ezzra said:

Boy, that is a LOT of urine, so what now? they gonna stop people in the street and ask them to pee into a testing tube

or drag them to the police station to do it? either way, too little too late and it's not a workable method to control

the use of drugs...

Oh boy have you been missing out. You never been forced to pee test on the streets before? This used to be nightly in Pattaya and still is in parts of the country.

[AhFarangJa]

They did this in our village two weeks ago. The Wife simply said She was off for a drug urine test. When I asked why She said everyone in the village has to be tested. When I mentioned Human Rights I got the usual Blank Thai stare that translates to "I do not want to talk any more". Anyway, they found 28 positives of varying age groups. There is now a help centre organised with all these people enrolled. I am not confident of a positive outcome, and do not trust the police not to act on the information at a later date.

[MalcolmB]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Somewhat hypocritical from the guy who condones drink driving...   

amphetamine use is a huge problem for families, medical staff and society in general.

 

i don’t condone drink driving universally, although same people are perfecting fine doing it.

But not you Young Richard, anything more than two beers and you are affected.

[MalcolmB]

1 hour ago, Dart12 said:

As for "who" won't  get the tests.  Idk.  

But I know who definitely WILL.  Non asian foreigners.

Absolute nonsense you have imagined. 

 

 

[MalcolmB]

14 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

They did this in our village two weeks ago. The Wife simply said She was off for a drug urine test. When I asked why She said everyone in the village has to be tested.

But not you.

being a non Asian foreigner has its perks.

[off road pat]

2 hours ago, ronster said:

This seems to have ramped up from those caught with drugs or tested positive for drugs being sent to treatment centres.

Doing what they say here will fill these so called centres to the max and I'm wondering who owns them , where they are and who pays for the treatments .

I'm sure someone somewhere is about to get a whole lot richer !

This been Thailand !?, We all think the same. There will always be someone profiting from it !