Government To Cut The Number Of Drug Addicts By 400,000 In 2012

[Lite Beer]

Government to Cut the Number of Drug Addicts by 400,000 in 2012

The Government is taking serious action to bring down the number of drug addicts in Thailand by at least 400,000 in 2012, in an effort to reduce the spread of the narcotics problem.

Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said that the number of drug addicts increased rapidly, from 470,000 in 2007 to 1.4 million in 2011.

In response to the Government’s clear intention to reduce the drug problem by 80 percent within one year, Mr. Wittaya said that the Ministry of Public Health would set up 928 drug rehabilitation centers in community hospitals nationwide. The centers will be located in 878 districts in the provinces and 50 districts in Bangkok.

A total of 5,000 doctors, nurses, psychologists, and health volunteers in various villages will be equipped with knowledge on drug treatment and rehabilitation. They will help encourage drug users not to return to drug use and prevent vulnerable groups, especially young people, from getting involved with narcotics.

The Government in September 2011 launched a national anti-drug campaign, chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who declared the anti-drug drive part of the national agenda, known as the “Force of the Land to Defeat the Drug Problem.”

According to Mr. Wittaya, the Ministry of Public Health has taken steps to act in accordance with the anti-drug drive policy. First, it has instructed the Food and Drug Administration to strictly control precursors and essential chemicals used in the manufacture of narcotic drugs.

Second, the Ministry of Public Health is working with the Ministry of Interior in drug rehabilitation, based on the concept that drug addicts will be regarded as patients who should receive treatment, so that they will return to their homes as productive members of society.

Third, the Ministry of Public Health has joined the “To Be Number One” project, an anti-drug campaign with Princess Ubolratana serving as chairperson. To Be Number One aims to promote solutions to drug problems and prevent drug addiction. It provides drug dependents with chances to become good citizens, while promoting family values and education among young people. The project currently has more than 37 million members across the country.

From October 2010 to September 2011, about 155,000 drug users underwent treatment and rehabilitation nationwide. While getting tough on dealers and traffickers, the Government has set a policy to provide addicts with treatment and rehabilitation. Measures have also been worked out to prevent drug addicts who have given up their addiction from returning to drug use.

Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department

[endure]

How? Does it intend to shoot them as in previous 'drug wars'?

[siampolee]

It seems as if the government will introduce the well known and proven,'' Bang Bang'' medicine which proved so successful last time around.

Although hopefully since then clinical trials will have eliminated the glitches in the medication that caused the demise of many innocent patients who were wrongly diagnosed as drug addicts.

Edited January 22, 2012 by metisdead
Copyrighted photo removed.

[daiwill60]

Well at least this Government is not afraid to lose face on this matter, by admitting there is a problem and since they have been in power, have started to do something about it.

However, the claim to do something about the 400,000 addicts may be a stretch of the Goverments imagination, they cannot educate the kids in Thailand properly or organise the teaching requirements of farang teachers, to cope with their new over simplistic ideas that everyone in Thailand will speak English for one day a week for one year prior to 2015 Asean membership, and all of a sudden they they can come up with an enormous network of trained counsellors and support staff to deal with drug addicts, just like that!!!!

[meatboy]

why not reduce the no of supliers by 400,000 as well.

[LuckyLew]

It is a nice idea to say you will reduce drug problem by 80% in one year

but anyone with half a brain cell left will know this is not realistic. The only

way this will be successful is if the final stats. are provided by the same

people who report the tourist numbers.

[jaltsc]

As someone who worked for over 25 years as a drug rehabilitation professional, I find this latest government program nothing less than a farce. First of all, someone has to admit that he or she has a drug problem and voluntarily seeks treatment. This will not happen if ones environment offers no attractive alternative to using drugs. If someone doesn't have a job or other activity which is desirable, then using drugs looks pretty good. The reason that so many people use drugs, and this includes alcohol, in the first place is that drugs work in temporarily alleviating the discomfort of a bad living situation. If you don't change that situation, you won't give the addict a better choice than using drugs.

" One aims to promote solutions to drug problems and prevent drug addiction. It provides drug dependents with chances to become good citizens, while promoting family values and education among young people."

In what environment were these drug dependents raised? They WERE surrounded by "family values". Unfortuanately, many family values have the father leaving as soon as his girlfriend gets pregnant, getting drunk on a regular basis, beating his girlfriend/wife, and being less than honest in making a living. Ask yourself: How many of the "37 million members across the country" use alcohol, take tea money, beat or cheat on their spouses and do not take responsibility for their actions?

If Thai society and family values as we know them today do not change, there will be no change in the use of drugs. As long as there is a demand for drugs, there will always be someone willing to supply them...Period.

Edited January 22, 2012 by jaltsc

[AleG]

Well, they could just do a Thaksin and simply declare Thailand a "drug free country", some people may even believe them.

[trainman34014]

why not reduce the no of supliers by 400,000 as well.

You mean shoot 400,000 Policemen ?

[dominique355]

If alcoholism is also a kind of addiction the present government seeks to fight, perhaps it should consider its taxing and excise policy. It simply doesn't make sense that a bottle of high percantage alcohol such as e.g. whiskey cost less than a low alcohol bottle of even the cheapest wine. Whiskey as 42% alcohol, wine about 13%.

This tax and excise policy on spirits and wine is directly contributing to alcoholism, making cheap, high "octane" alcohol for real alcoholics affordable, while punishing moderate wine drinkers.

Moreover most alcohol consumed in Thailand is so-called lao kao (white alcohol) without any tax.

But like so many government policies, lot of noise now and in a month from now, nobody will give a rat's a$$ about this policy.

[Pseudolus]

They'll just stop counting them, or negotiate the number down the the old fashioned way "You're a drug addict, but for 1000 baht I'll say you are not"

[rfukata]

in conjunction to this goal to cut 400,000 drug addicts, also cut 400,000 degenerate drivers in this country.

it just might help solve the overall problems.

[anterian]

In my village adults use kratom, the young use amphetamines, but the worse antisocial drug in my opinion is alcohol, particularly lao whisky. (which incidentally I also buy as it is a good disinfectant and cleaning agent).

[necronx99]

why not reduce the no of supliers by 400,000 as well.

Fratricide is illegal.

[monty1412]

As someone who worked for over 25 years as a drug rehabilitation professional, I find this latest government program nothing less than a farce. First of all, someone has to admit that he or she has a drug problem and voluntarily seeks treatment. This will not happen if ones environment offers no attractive alternative to using drugs. If someone doesn't have a job or other activity which is desirable, then using drugs looks pretty good. The reason that so many people use drugs, and this includes alcohol, in the first place is that drugs work in temporarily alleviating the discomfort of a bad living situation. If you don't change that situation, you won't give the addict a better choice than using drugs.

" One aims to promote solutions to drug problems and prevent drug addiction. It provides drug dependents with chances to become good citizens, while promoting family values and education among young people."

In what environment were these drug dependents raised? They WERE surrounded by "family values". Unfortuanately, many family values have the father leaving as soon as his girlfriend gets pregnant, getting drunk on a regular basis, beating his girlfriend/wife, and being less than honest in making a living. Ask yourself: How many of the "37 million members across the country" use alcohol, take tea money, beat or cheat on their spouses and do not take responsibility for their actions?

If Thai society and family values as we know them today do not change, there will be no change in the use of drugs. As long as there is a demand for drugs, there will always be someone willing to supply them...Period.

Not a thing one can add to this post, absolutely 100% spot on....

[noitom]

It's a noble cause. Unfortunately, the Thais lack fundamentals skills and will to succeed in any program. This "program," if in fact it is more than an empty promise, will be corrupted into failure very quickly. Why don't they start with an educational blitz so they begin by reducing the number of new addicts/teenagers? Start with educating youth and setting it straight. This would be the logical beginning point for a program focused on reducing addicts. If they don't educate successfully, the new addicts will just replace any that they are able to rehabilitate.

[alfalfa19]

How? Does it intend to shoot them as in previous 'drug wars'?

Reduce the addict population by 400,000? Sounds great, but where will they get the funding for all those bullets? Remember, each addict can require several bullets, and often their family members, and bystanders require bullets also. Who's going to pay for all this?

[ozzydom]

In my village adults use kratom, the young use amphetamines, but the worse antisocial drug in my opinion is alcohol, particularly lao whisky. (which incidentally I also buy as it is a good disinfectant and cleaning agent).

Why is Lao Kao called whiskey,? even the labelling says it is "white spirits" which is used as a paint thinner .

[nurofiend]

How? Does it intend to shoot them as in previous 'drug wars'?

here we go again!

what is it with thais and their "we'll reduce/increase 'x' by 'x' time"?!

is there anyone who actually believes these claims or are they just an accepted lie amongst politiciians?

how dumb do you have to be to accept that they could possibly estimate a cut of 400,000 drug users in less than a year??!

Edited January 22, 2012 by nurofiend

[anterian]

In my village adults use kratom, the young use amphetamines, but the worse antisocial drug in my opinion is alcohol, particularly lao whisky. (which incidentally I also buy as it is a good disinfectant and cleaning agent).

Why is Lao Kao called whiskey,? even the labelling says it is "white spirits" which is used as a paint thinner .

To Thais whisky does not mean a spirit brewed in Scotland, it is simply a generic name used for anything which is distilled.

I could equally ask why do Americans spell it whiskey and not the correct Scottish spelling whisky. It's just usage.

[givenall]

To reduce the government is going to use magic and voodoo

[noitom]

In my village adults use kratom, the young use amphetamines, but the worse antisocial drug in my opinion is alcohol, particularly lao whisky. (which incidentally I also buy as it is a good disinfectant and cleaning agent).

Why is Lao Kao called whiskey,? even the labelling says it is "white spirits" which is used as a paint thinner .

To Thais whisky does not mean a spirit brewed in Scotland, it is simply a generic name used for anything which is distilled.

I could equally ask why do Americans spell it whiskey and not the correct Scottish spelling whisky. It's just usage.

Scotch is spelled 'whisky" no e and ryes and bourbons are "whiskey" with the e to differentiate.

[Commentor]

It pleasing that government is willing to take these drugs spiral seriously but again, they need to focus on the root cause to shut down the supply first.

Get those king pin drug dealers on the top by obtaining info of the suppliers. Often, i can only see from youtube they link up small time drug pusher.

When you kill a snake, you need to get hold of it head first.

[gemini81]

Nice attempt to take the focus off more important issues, and sweep blunders and mistakes under the carpet. How about just focusing on delivering all those campaign promises, you red shirt failed politicians???

[anterian]

In my village adults use kratom, the young use amphetamines, but the worse antisocial drug in my opinion is alcohol, particularly lao whisky. (which incidentally I also buy as it is a good disinfectant and cleaning agent).

Why is Lao Kao called whiskey,? even the labelling says it is "white spirits" which is used as a paint thinner .

To Thais whisky does not mean a spirit brewed in Scotland, it is simply a generic name used for anything which is distilled.

I could equally ask why do Americans spell it whiskey and not the correct Scottish spelling whisky. It's just usage.

Scotch is spelled 'whisky" no e and ryes and bourbons are "whiskey" with the e to differentiate.

Frankly it seems to depend upon where you come from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisky

But obviously if you ask for Scotch you should get whisky, ask for a bourbon and you'll get a whiskey. Personally I favour a "Stones" whiskey mac, but in Thailand I cannot get the mac

[anterian]

Nice attempt to take the focus off more important issues, and sweep blunders and mistakes under the carpet. How about just focusing on delivering all those campaign promises, you red shirt failed politicians???

" more important issues", frankly I think drugs and alcohol abuse ARE important issues, a serious attempt to tackle them would solve many other serious issues, even make some campaign promises no longer necessary..

[prefabs]

I think this programme should be exported to the West. If Thailand can get rid of 400,000 addicts in one year, just think what it could do in America, Western Europe etc.

You know, even if they said 40,000, I would just have to be sceptical too. 4,000 might be more realistic, but then again, how many more would be added to the lists? In many ways, wordwide, the battle against dugs is already lost.

[Baerboxer]

In my village adults use kratom, the young use amphetamines, but the worse antisocial drug in my opinion is alcohol, particularly lao whisky. (which incidentally I also buy as it is a good disinfectant and cleaning agent).

Why is Lao Kao called whiskey,? even the labelling says it is "white spirits" which is used as a paint thinner .

To Thais whisky does not mean a spirit brewed in Scotland, it is simply a generic name used for anything which is distilled.

I could equally ask why do Americans spell it whiskey and not the correct Scottish spelling whisky. It's just usage.

Always thought the Americans copies the Irish spelling - after all the Irish invented it !

[Canada]

It's a pretty sad statement and a clear indication of the IQ of the people who made this decision and announcement.

[DP25]

Great plan. Give an inflated the number of 'addicts' in a press brief , then a year later miraculously claim success in lowering the number and everyone pat themselves on the back