1.2 Million Thais Are Addicted To Drugs

[PEP]

A couple of our Village lads were sent from Court to a 2X 2 week rehabilitation course in 'the bush" for failing urine testing (first offence). As i was told the "Rehabilitation" was daily lectures on the evils of drugs to effect terror of gaol if further offence detected,, exorecising by Monks to purge thier souls and a daily emetic to purge the vile subatance from thier bodies. Would probably work for me. They were indeed a sorry state when I, who had transport, was elected to collect and bring them home.

[Gers1873]

I have personally seen drug use in Holland and used myself (xtc) and most of us were casual users with a normal life and work next to it. Some people however can't handle it. But many can. Must be a factor like meom is talking about.

Just like you get people who get addicted to alcohol

Yes the Dutch seem to be able to handle their drug use pretty well.

Drugs and music often go hand in hand which might explain why some of the best club dj’s / music producers are coming from Holland as well. Armin van Buuren, Sander van Doorn, Tiesto, Laidback Luke, Ferry Corsten, Dash Berlin, Don Diablo, DJ Chuckie, Afrojack etc. to name a few.

Not sure if there is a genetic link though

Excellent!! Bragging and sycophancy about how well some people, a particular country's nationals, can 'handle' their drugs.. Nice one lads!! . - How many E's can you knock back?

It's not about genetic links it's about how you count the statistics according to Idiot O'reilly on Fux News

[fire and ice]

interested to know just what their definition of an 'addict' is, there's a big difference between someone who occasionally smokes dope, or yaba and can still get on with life, and someone who has to have it every day to the point that they cannot undertake their job or studies correctly. I'm guessing the latter is a 10th of the figure quoted. 90% of the world's drug problems are media-hype to scare the middle class into voting

Not to scare the middle class into voting, but to sell newspapers and TV ratings of their news. As a CONSEQUENCE a lot of people (in any country) vote based on their feelings which have been influenced by the media hype. Whist its true media sometimes has a sinister political bias (as opposed to merely the reported/writer's own bias), in general a LOT more reporting is done with that media's business interests in mind. Your assertion tend to imply that the media is behind large conspiracies. Of course it may be so in certain cases, but their primary function is looking after their own business.

[wolf5370]

The old legalise/don't legalise argument is unwinnable simply because the two sides will never agree. The simple fact is that while it is illegal certain people will think its cool and crave it (the young). As we saw in the USA with the alcohol prohibition act in the 20's and 30's, all it does is make bad people wealthy and feeds organised crime. What is needed is education for the young and help for the addicted. It seems, probably for the first time, the government here is taking an interest at this level, rather than just signing a shoot dealers on site edict! I applaude that. Drugs will never be removed from society and drug addicts will never cease to exist as alcoholics did not - there is certainly a predisposition to addiction, many studies prove this. I doubt it is a genetic one per se, in that it affects all Thais, much more likely to be individuals being more susseptible than others (as with tendancy to contract cancer etc).

I hope they look at gambling, it seems a much more insidious and pervasive here to me. So many Thais I know, or family members of Thais I know, have serious gambling problems - have lost everything, owe fortunes to loan sharks which they juggle and hide from, lend them a 1,000 baht to get one off their back for a while and it never gets past the lottery stand or basck-street casino. It is this sort of pressure which pushes people into bad choices like drugs and taking large illegal risks muling the stuff. Of course, we all know why these places are allowed to continue unmolested by the authorities and why legal casinos will probably never open here, but there is always hope. At least a gambler anonymous and treatment facilities (often largely subsidised by legal casinos in the west!) and educating the young would help - at least teach them enough maths so that the caluclator can stay in the draw and so they can see when the odds are firmly stacked against them!

I went to a birthday party of some Thia friend's last year. Help in their garden. A neighbour from down the street turned up with a sheet of paper and a bag of small envelopes. On the paper were the 12 Chinese astrological creatures. Each person bet on one or more of the creatures by putting their money on the square that framed each. Many people bet on the same animal, some animals were not bet on - something like craps or roulette in this manner I guess. Then someone pulls out one of the little envelopes and opens it. inside is a small drawing of one of the animals. The people on that square win - not all the money, not a poercentage of the money/not 12 times their stake - or even close - they get back their money doubled. 1,000 baht bet, 2,000 retunred (including the bet 1,000) if won. Most of the women at the party and several of the men crowded around this woman putting 500 and 1,000 baht notes all over the paper. One girl who's husband I was chatting to (both Thai), asked mwe why I didn't paly. I said simply, I can count - and the husband laughed. They had no concept, nor did they care, that the odds where 12 to 1 of winning an evens payout. It's all down to the fact that they rely on "luck" and "ancester/spirit guardian/etc" rather than the chances. This is part of the animism that is still pushed here, pretending to be Buddhism, playing right into the hands of those that would take advantage. Incidently, after about an hour, the woman left taking stacks of money with her - she never had any food or drink or interacted with the party at all.

Edited January 19, 2012 by wolf5370

[RogueLeader]

Perhaps more note should be taken of the Portugese policy of total decriminalisation?

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

[witsawakorn]

2% of the Thai population are drug addicts. speaks volumes

Meaning what? Please educate us. It's a stupid non scientific throw away stat that is meaningless. I am more impressed with 3% of American adults having been jailed at some point in their life( source Answers.com). That's something for Thailand to aspire to

[Jayman]

Apparently there were 2.8m addicts in the UK, 1 year ago. http://www.guardian....drug-users-fall That was, in fact, an improvement. The UK has a similar population to Thailand.

Not addicts. It's the total number of people who used an illegal drug (including marijuana) once within the year. Smoke a single joint and you are part of that figure.

Thailand has a huge drug problem, you hear about drug problems in the UK or US but how many you personally know? one maybe two.. pay attention here and it's astonishing how many people smoke yabaa. I'm not talking only bar girls and taxi drivers, went on a night out with doctors recently they smoked, landlord smokes, lived a few months in a village up north all on yabaa.... supplier was the school principal.

I am far from being a prude when it comes to drugs but methamphetamine is eating away at Thai society.

Would strongly question that they are all smoking "yabaa", given that this is generally used in describing meths. I suppose if you translate literally to crazy medicine, then you would be correct.

But are they addicted, or is it a socal usage? Bit scary when the doctors need their fix!

yabaa = amphetamine tablets

ice= crystal methamphetamine

both are amphetamines and have a similar effect but are formulated with different chemicals.

The yabaa sold in Thailand is actually usually a quite old recipe that was used by the Nazis. (please don't read into my use of the word Nazis)

When a thai is talking about yabaa, you can 100% recon they are talking about amphetamine use and NOT about some other crazy medicine as is the literal translation of the name. Only amphetamines are called yabaa here in Thailand.

Amphetamine use in Thailand has flourished in the past decade where as Cannabis use and Opium use has decreased. Much of this can be blamed on the US drug war. Cannabis use in Thailand used to be much more widespread and in fact the "bong" is a thai word and invention.

The biggest issue is money making and much more money can be made on cheap amphetamine pills than a crop that requires work to plant and harvest.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Jayman

[elwood]

Apparently there were 2.8m addicts in the UK, 1 year ago. http://www.guardian....drug-users-fall That was, in fact, an improvement. The UK has a similar population to Thailand.

Maybe it's because the UK people are able to count properly and know their math...

If you care to check out the education standards in the UK now, you will find that UK people definitely cannot count properly, or read properly either.

Sorry if drifting off-topic!

[visions]

Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of habitual marijuana use in the world, doesnt seem to affect our society too much. I believe that drugs are a medical problem not a legal one and should all be treated like alcohol and caffeine and nicotine.

You have to be joking right?? with sky high crime as a direct result of substance abuse, the wife and child bashing, dis-jointed families, poor work ethics, mental hospitals overflowing with twisted minds from abuse, road accidents, oh the list is endless.......How anyone with even half a brain could contemplate poisoning them selves with mind bending drugs defies logic. Anyone with a proper functioning mind doesnt need to prop them selves up with an imagined prop. With proper care and nutrition you stay in control of yourself and can create in reality, what becomes a fading dream when you abuse your body.

[waza]

Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of habitual marijuana use in the world, doesnt seem to affect our society too much. I believe that drugs are a medical problem not a legal one and should all be treated like alcohol and caffeine and nicotine.

You have to be joking right?? with sky high crime as a direct result of substance abuse, the wife and child bashing, dis-jointed families, poor work ethics, mental hospitals overflowing with twisted minds from abuse, road accidents, oh the list is endless.......How anyone with even half a brain could contemplate poisoning them selves with mind bending drugs defies logic. Anyone with a proper functioning mind doesnt need to prop them selves up with an imagined prop. With proper care and nutrition you stay in control of yourself and can create in reality, what becomes a fading dream when you abuse your body.

Reality is just a refuge for people who can't handle drugs. Robin Williams ...

............

[lee68]

interesting to think of all drugs being legalized throughout the world ( or at least in America!)..

Assuming numerous Thai people eat Yaba, it helps explain their actions behind the wheel of a car or on motorbikes.. jai ron mak.

That would mean every Thai driver here, because there all shocking drivers

[KeyserSoze01]

2% of the Thai population are drug addicts. speaks volumes

It has been estimated that 12.5% of US citizens smoke pot on a regular basis and over 37% have tried it at one time. Thailand has a ways to go before they catch up with the big boys on the block.

[sirchai]

Thais will need a very long time to understand the difference between 'soft' and 'hard' drugs. Or let's better say what's right and what's wrong. There was a documentary a few weeks ago about a Thai guy who said he was addicted to pot and this made him so mad that he and his friends killed dogs other weird things.

When showing his daily life, guys sat there and drank loads of Lao Khao, the killer alcohol which isn't a drug, because people pay tax. The guy went to a temple after telling the cops all about his "bad friends" who made him smoke pot.

Ironically there was not even one point where people even mentioned the Lao Khao, which had obviously destroyed their brains. I'm pretty sure that many people believed the "true" story about a little stupid liar. Legalize Strawberry ice.....

[TackyToo]

Apparently there were 2.8m addicts in the UK, 1 year ago. http://www.guardian....drug-users-fall That was, in fact, an improvement. The UK has a similar population to Thailand.

Maybe it's because the UK people are able to count properly and know their math...

If you care to check out the education standards in the UK now, you will find that UK people definitely cannot count properly, or read properly either.

Sorry if drifting off-topic!

Yeah, but they are not the people who make government statements...

[hellodolly]

The only Drug Rehab program I know of with a 70%+ success rate (stays off drugs after the program) is Narconon. There are not enough of these centers around. If there were, the root cause of the problem could get adressed after the natural detox program is complete.

How idealistic is that now...?

Not very.

Where I come from they had a treatment center claiming a high rate of success.

What they did was called you after 6 months and asked you if you were clean. Naturally they got a lot of false information.

[Moebius87]

Google "truth about drugs" and it will take you to s powerful site where "just say no" is no longer applicable. Also have a look at NatGeo's documentary on "The World's Most Dangerous" drug. Also Google "faces of meth".

I really don't care much about the accuracy of statistics one way or another... all I know for certain is that after a 3 year struggle with s crystal meth addiction, my marriage failed and a 4-year old boy lost his mother. Despite the emergency psychiatric ward at Srithanya Hospital, the AA and NA meetings, the 12-step rehab program in Khon Kaen, there is really not enough to sufficiently help addicts combat and recover from their disease.

The facilities are there, but awareness, support and the willingness to rehabilitate one's self are in sore need of improvement. People can survive this, but they have to become aware that this is a survivable condition... and then they have to want (more than anything else in the world) to truly recover.

I don't care about the numbers or the mastersl dissertations... all it takes is one particular individual close to you to bring this problem home and make this an urgent crisis that needs attention. Until it becomes your spouse, your sibling, or your child... It's always going to be a statistic or a conceptual abstract of some sort.

[Balls]

Canada said:

Hi...I am not sure who you are but I don't think that promoting our upcoming Convention in this forum is appropriate.

NA in Thailand is full of narcissistic backstabbing bitches who do nothing towards our 5th tradition in this country....it's like we'll just delete tradition 5....

Having people come to check us out at this time in our development would be a huge embarrassment to us. We do barely anything to help ourselves and absolutely nothing to help Thai society.

Response from Balls,

The topic page of this forum is: NARCOTICS WAR

1.2 million Thais are addicted to drugs

THE NATION

And you are trying to tell me that this is not the ‘proper’ forum to mention the 5th Thailand Regional Convention, themed "MIRACLES HAPPEN" taking place in Pattaya, 17th to 19th February 2012?

I've been to a couple of these conventions back in the states (Detroit and Grand Rapids, MI., Phoenix, AZ) -they are great fun and give hope to all. What are you afraid of?

First off, let me say that it has been at least 18 years from my last NA or AA meeting. I do not agree with their ‘god oriented’ 12 twelve steps and traditions which you seem to be quite familiar with. That is not to say that these are not good programs for many, many people. Arguably, they are not the best programs, but hundreds of thousands of reformed addicts will disagree with me.

However, I will repeat myself, saying that the help and continuing support I receive from my old mates has kept me from shooting up or snorting everything from heroin, cocaine, LSD, black beauties Quaaludes, 100 proof rum or any dangerous drug. Anything I could get my hands on. NA saved my life!

And you “don't think that promoting our upcoming Convention in this forum is appropriate”?

And why did you not post your opinion on the forum itself? A bit shy are you? I’ll try to be civil about this but… you are out of your bloody mind!

AA and Na are already here in Thailand already. Does the “ the 5th Thailand Regional Convention” mean anything to you?

In fact, you sound as if you might be familiar with NA already! As you said (so anonymously), “NA in Thailand is full of narcissistic backstabbing bitches who do nothing…and “our upcoming Convention”.

I kind of wonder if these ‘bitches’ are Thai or Falang but it is up to YOU to get off of your duff and do something about it. Call them out by quoting your 12 and 12 or whatever but get your facts straight first! (See Post #6)

I agree with these forums post #6 that calls your bluff. In your post #7 you contradict yourself. Post #30 mentions NARCONON (?) but I believe he meant NARANON. This is for the family and friends who want to support their addicted loved one. Also read post #41.

You said “Thailand has many rehabs available for underfunded people. What they lack is the support after that. I say that this is what NA and AA are all about!

There is only one "throwing up and praying" model program. Wat Thamgrabok. Yes, I’ve read the book and am happy for the bloke who wrote it but still – aftermath support is tantamount!

IMHO, the 5th Thailand Regional (NA) Convention in Pattaya should be advertised and supported by all of the government officials who claim they want to “help” the problem in Thailand.

If you or your NA has a problem that you are not happy with - Take responsibility!

[PingManDan]

I hope in this "low" estimate of addicts, they would also include those addicted to alcohol, if so then I would bet this number would climb dramatically.

Web site If you think you might have a problem with alcohol!

www.aathailand.org

Edited January 19, 2012 by PingManDan

[JimShortz]

Isn't there an ongoing study being undertaken to examine the question why there are so may Thais get addicted to amphetamines. IIRC they are looking to see if there is a genetic link to these addictions.

My guess on why so many get addicted to amphetamines is simply that they are what is widely available in Thailand - and cheap too. If they had cheap Ecstasy available as they do in much of the western world, then you can bet there would be lots of people using that...

Oh, the human condition... find a remote tribe that has never had contact with the outside world and you can bet they have some form of drug use too!

[chooka]

2% of the Thai population are drug addicts. speaks volumes

Counting alcohol as a drug the true percentage would be closer to 10%.

+ cigarretes, caffeine and Thai soaps

[JurgenG]

I hope people will now understand why so many Thai people back the "war on drug" despite whatever bleeding heart (and hypocritical) democrats have to say.

Drug addicts are victims and sick people who should be helped. Dug traffickers and all those who, directly and indirectly, profit from their traffick are the worst form of criminal, at the same level as peadophile and should be treated accordingly. I really don't understand people who, for petty political gain, oppose the war on drug. I guess most of them are users which may explain the disfunction of their brain.

[Colin Yai]

2% of the Thai population are drug addicts. speaks volumes

Counting alcohol as a drug the true percentage would be closer to 10%.

You fail to mention Cigarettes , Nicotine addiction kills millions per annum.

[jackr]

Dug traffickers and all those who, directly and indirectly, profit from their traffick are the worst form of criminal, at the same level as peadophile and should be treated accordingly.

Yep, lets hope ole Takki Shinegra gives the order again.

[Alvarez]

Legalize weed and the numbers of drug abusers will decrease

[connda]

Drug use has definatly increased, but at the same time so has the soical disparite between the have and have nots. I wonder which side of the social divide the majority of drug addicts fall. The link between poverty, lack of opportunity, dysfunctional families and drug use has been clearly established. Until these social issues which underpin drug use are effectively address, the government is fighting a losing battle. Other strategies need to be purseued in conjunction with stricter anti drug laws to make any changes effective and long lasting and provide hope and real opportunity for a better life to those addicted to or at risk of drug addiction.

Other wise the choice is simply - A shit life in a village with no future or a shit life in jail with no future - hardly a tempting choice for those stuck in a cycle of poverty.

My wife acknowledged that there is a Yaba problem in her village, primarily with the male children (teenagers and young adults). It seems to be pretty well corralated to income and opportunity, ie, how poor the kids parents are and how much of a viable future these kids think they have. Kids from families with higher incomes seem to get wrapped up in the use of Yaba via peer pressure. We pulled her son out of the village when he was 15, primarily to get him away from the other kids. We now have him enrolled in school in Chiang Mai. He's now looking at starting Uni next year. I feel sorry for the other kids...no prospect, no future, go parental direction -- and they turn to drugs and alcohol, and then maybe jail. It's partially a social and ecomonic problem. Treatment and education might be a good start, but how do you solve the underlying ecomonic disparity?

Edited January 20, 2012 by connda

[Chopperboy]

I have personally seen drug use in Holland and used myself (xtc) and most of us were casual users with a normal life and work next to it. Some people however can't handle it. But many can. Must be a factor like meom is talking about.

Just like you get people who get addicted to alcohol

There is a line of thinking that substance abuse is really just self-medication. The user is suppressing over active areas of the brain and/ or stimulating under active areas. Therapy that deals with the chemical imbalances of the brain is much more successful than other forms.

[travelmann]

Drug use has definatly increased, but at the same time so has the soical disparite between the have and have nots. I wonder which side of the social divide the majority of drug addicts fall. The link between poverty, lack of opportunity, dysfunctional families and drug use has been clearly established. Until these social issues which underpin drug use are effectively address, the government is fighting a losing battle. Other strategies need to be purseued in conjunction with stricter anti drug laws to make any changes effective and long lasting and provide hope and real opportunity for a better life to those addicted to or at risk of drug addiction.

Other wise the choice is simply - A shit life in a village with no future or a shit life in jail with no future - hardly a tempting choice for those stuck in a cycle of poverty.

Nope it depends on the individual, my wife came form the kind of shi* no hope you mention and is doing very well thanks after taking 3-4 years to get her degree by working all hours, coming to BKK at age 14 with her Brother etc.

Im sure many of these losers are plain bone idle laybouts even without the drugs, never mind we can always blame poverty.........

Good for your wife! Hope you teach your children well.. There is a flaw to your logic though; we can't really use your luvvly wife as a benchmark for all human behaviour now, can we?

I never mentioned she was, I was arguing the point of "poverty" as an excuse amongst other things like being bone idle etc.

[OZEMADE]

Let's see about 64,000,000 people in Thailand and 1.2 Mill are drug addicts.

About 23,000,000 people in Australia and I reckon we would have 1.2 Mill on drugs, if not more.

What's the problem.

[oldsailor35]

A lot of work has to be done in the anti drug war. Even those who say that they only use occaisionally need treatment of some kind or another before they move from just being 'weak willed' persons to outright addicts.

There's no doubt, anyone stupid and weak enough to dabble in drugs are just climbing aboard the slippery slide to being a full addict !

[KKvampire]

The roads are " death traps " If it isn't talking on a mobile phone, driving fast behind the vehicle infront., alcohol then it's high on drugs and what does the country do about it? <deleted> all.

I witnessed an accident every week on the roads , saw a Pick up slam into a tuk tuk crashing it into a spiral and 3 people inside, badly injured this week, The pick up kept going , although a motorbike went after it. When is the country going to wake up? I tell you when ?NEVER!

Edited January 21, 2012 by KKvampire