With The Aim Of Making Thailand A Drug-Free Country, Thousands Join Drug Rehab Courses

[JoeLing]

Good that Thailand admits the drug problem, however, Thail Govt, drug treatment is about 120 years behind modern models. Last month all 400 patients at a Krabi rehab ran away the same day after a patient was killed (rumors were that he was beat to death by staff). In reality, Thai drug patient relapse rates are about 90%. Too bad Thai Govt. decines all offers to help from Western drug treatment agencies. (Not want farang advice; bad for face)...

I do not think that foreign drug rehabs are more successful then the ones here in Thailand

at all. In fact I believe Thailand has two of the most successful drug treatments available.

I watched this documentary about Thamkrabok Monastery (I think it was on BBC)

and it seams their success rate is astonishing, definately better than most, very expensive

western rehabs

Then is Thaksins rehab, shoot on sight , not very human but 150% success rate.

[kristofferR]

Is this really "voluntary" or is it just another form of punishment by the court like it is in so many other countries? If the choice is going to a horrible thai jail or fakely admitting you're an addict by going through a rehab course, most people would chose the second option.

I'd bet that 50+% of these "addicts" aren't really addicted to anything other than not going to a thai jail.

Edited September 24, 2012 by kristofferR

[McMagus]

I think the sad thing is that there would be a lot of people thinking they are doing some real good in offering (and working in) this service and I guess any programme is better than none but the irritating, nay, infuriating thing is when they have all these big profile drug busts, never once have any kingpins been caught let alone named and shamed. Thais have a wonderful 'silent knowledge' of what is going on in their country that we farangs are often not privy to. A case in point are coups and disturbances when Thai friends would say ..'stay at home tomorrow... not good' and lo and behold.,, So I am certain that everybody knows who these kingpins are but their status in Thai society provides immunity or at least allows them to become 'invisible'. In another post I commented on how Thais don't seem to mind by which means a person acquires wealth and 'face'. Shame they can't / won't nail these low life trash.

[nurofiend]

Will the Red Bull Ferrari police killer be attending to address his cocaine problems or is it just the poor people again?

it's only a problem when your actions from using it have a bad effect on your life or those around you.

oh... that's right.

[Tchooptip]

The numbers are all over the place and some very outdated data. Notwithstanding that, drugs are a scourge of all societies not just Thailand. Thailand will never get to drug free status, ever, but the rehabs are a start. The problem has to be tackled on both supply and demand sides. In any country where drugs can be sold easily and money is free flowing for same, it will always remain. Certainly tougher penalties for drug dealers is essential, but the addicts once hooked become the victims to these dealers. It is deliberate, calculated and continuing to increase as greed motivates without thought to fellow humans. Dealers are the lowest form of life on this planet.

Dealers are the lowest form of life on this plane

Yes Yes Yes Yes should be treated with utmost severity in every countries!

[nurofiend]

snip>

Thailand will never get to drug free status, ever

<snip

the only country that will get to drug free status, is one that nobody lives on

prohibition is such a great idea, see how well it worked in the 20's

[JoeLing]

Just wonder, is the occasional recreational drug user an addict?

(I like that word - recreational)

An addict is someone what is psychologically or even physically unable to control their urge for a certain substance or activity, and thus his functionality as a person is impaired. A recreational user can go on with his life as normal.

It's one of the tragedies of these "Drug Wars", putting everyone in the same bag in terms of punishment and alienation.

I have friends who smoke marijuana regularly, they are perfectly able persons, even brilliant individuals who could have their lives ruined for the benefit of politicians claiming to be tough on drugs. That's really all there is to it, the drug wars have not solved the problem, it's only gotten worse, but it has proven to be a good political tool to obtain and accrue power.

Ahhhh, in this case, - - I'm an addict. I just can't leave my hands of chocolatte and coffee

[nurofiend]

Just wonder, is the occasional recreational drug user an addict?

(I like that word - recreational)

An addict is someone what is psychologically or even physically unable to control their urge for a certain substance or activity, and thus his functionality as a person is impaired. A recreational user can go on with his life as normal.

It's one of the tragedies of these "Drug Wars", putting everyone in the same bag in terms of punishment and alienation.

I have friends who smoke marijuana regularly, they are perfectly able persons, even brilliant individuals who could have their lives ruined for the benefit of politicians claiming to be tough on drugs. That's really all there is to it, the drug wars have not solved the problem, it's only gotten worse, but it has proven to be a good political tool to obtain and accrue power.

see on this issue is where i agree with some of my usual 'forum foes'

Edited September 24, 2012 by nurofiend

[nisakiman]

An addict is someone what is psychologically or even physically unable to control their urge for a certain substance or activity, and thus his functionality as a person is impaired. A recreational user can go on with his life as normal.

It's one of the tragedies of these "Drug Wars", putting everyone in the same bag in terms of punishment and alienation.

I have friends who smoke marijuana regularly, they are perfectly able persons, even brilliant individuals who could have their lives ruined for the benefit of politicians claiming to be tough on drugs. That's really all there is to it, the drug wars have not solved the problem, it's only gotten worse, but it has proven to be a good political tool to obtain and accrue power.

A perceptive post, and mostly correct. The only point I would take issue with is that in fact some addicts, although dependent on their drug of choice, can live quite normal and productive lives. I think this only really applies to opium and its derivatives, as amphetamines take a much more serious physical and mental toll.

I travelled for some time in the late 60s in Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush (NW Frontier), and in that time, I encountered many who had been lifetime opium addicts. The opium, however, was cheap and readily available, and the habitual use of it attracted only minor opprobrium from the more upright members of their society. They lived full and productive lives, had families and children who they supported, and generally were no different from most others apart from their propensity to indulge in the dreamstate that opium induces. The only problem would be if the supply was either restricted or expensive. That's when the trouble begins, and is the only real reason that it becomes a problem.

I've posted elsewhere on TV about how stupid, self-defeating, damaging and unwinnable the "war on drugs" is and has been, so I won't repeat it all here. Suffice to say that the only way out of the current problems with drugs worldwide is to legalise everything and bring it under the control of some sort of body who could then dispense quality controlled drugs at the real market price, educate (not with exaggerated scare stories, but with real facts) people about the negative aspects of using drugs, and to offer de-tox and rehabilitation courses to those who want them. Coercing people into breaking a habit rarely works. It has to come from the person involved. They have to want to stop using whatever it is.

Of course, as things stand, that's just a pipe-dream. There is far too much money involved in the "war on drugs" on both sides of the fence. It's the same principle as the fact that the Pharmaceutical industry will never find a cure for cancer. There's just too much money in prolonging cancer sufferer's lives. Finding a cure would be tantamount to shooting yourself through the head. So a cure will never be found; there's just no profit in it. Likewise, the drugs war will never end. Too many people depend for their livelihood on it. Too many crooked politicians have got their fingers in the pie. Too many businesses supply the hardware involved.

So &lt;deleted&gt; the casualties, the lives destroyed. They are just collateral damage. Expendable. Plenty more where they came from. The gravy train must be kept rolling, that's the main thing. Keep the scare stories in the press; keep the proles baying for the blood of the dealers (although they are only supplying a demand - they didn't create it), and keep the show on the road.

A drug free Thailand? Pah! Cynical fantasy.

[Skywalker69]

I query th figures, 500,000 equates to over 1369 busts per day over a year, and the year isn't over! Anyone else know of a country where that number of drug bust occur in one year. I didn't think so!

Sent from my GT-P6200 using Thaivisa Connect App

In 2009 alone, 1.66 million Americans were arrested on drug charges

Read more: http://www.time.com/...l#ixzz27M37kTmv

USA population 311,591,917 (2011)

Thailand population 69,518,555 (2011)

[paz]

An addict is someone what is psychologically or even physically unable to control their urge for a certain substance or activity, and thus his functionality as a person is impaired. A recreational user can go on with his life as normal.

It's one of the tragedies of these "Drug Wars", putting everyone in the same bag in terms of punishment and alienation.

I have friends who smoke marijuana regularly, they are perfectly able persons, even brilliant individuals who could have their lives ruined for the benefit of politicians claiming to be tough on drugs. That's really all there is to it, the drug wars have not solved the problem, it's only gotten worse, but it has proven to be a good political tool to obtain and accrue power.

A perceptive post, and mostly correct. The only point I would take issue with is that in fact some addicts, although dependent on their drug of choice, can live quite normal and productive lives. I think this only really applies to opium and its derivatives, as amphetamines take a much more serious physical and mental toll.

I travelled for some time in the late 60s in Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush (NW Frontier), and in that time, I encountered many who had been lifetime opium addicts. The opium, however, was cheap and readily available, and the habitual use of it attracted only minor opprobrium from the more upright members of their society. They lived full and productive lives, had families and children who they supported, and generally were no different from most others apart from their propensity to indulge in the dreamstate that opium induces. The only problem would be if the supply was either restricted or expensive. That's when the trouble begins, and is the only real reason that it becomes a problem.

I've posted elsewhere on TV about how stupid, self-defeating, damaging and unwinnable the "war on drugs" is and has been, so I won't repeat it all here. Suffice to say that the only way out of the current problems with drugs worldwide is to legalise everything and bring it under the control of some sort of body who could then dispense quality controlled drugs at the real market price, educate (not with exaggerated scare stories, but with real facts) people about the negative aspects of using drugs, and to offer de-tox and rehabilitation courses to those who want them. Coercing people into breaking a habit rarely works. It has to come from the person involved. They have to want to stop using whatever it is.

Of course, as things stand, that's just a pipe-dream. There is far too much money involved in the "war on drugs" on both sides of the fence. It's the same principle as the fact that the Pharmaceutical industry will never find a cure for cancer. There's just too much money in prolonging cancer sufferer's lives. Finding a cure would be tantamount to shooting yourself through the head. So a cure will never be found; there's just no profit in it. Likewise, the drugs war will never end. Too many people depend for their livelihood on it. Too many crooked politicians have got their fingers in the pie. Too many businesses supply the hardware involved.

So &lt;deleted&gt; the casualties, the lives destroyed. They are just collateral damage. Expendable. Plenty more where they came from. The gravy train must be kept rolling, that's the main thing. Keep the scare stories in the press; keep the proles baying for the blood of the dealers (although they are only supplying a demand - they didn't create it), and keep the show on the road.

A drug free Thailand? Pah! Cynical fantasy.

Congratulations, you have written in lively and concise manner the exact opinion of many, that are not the majority today, but it might become in the future.

I will have to look back at your post when I'll want to explain my view on the matter again

[TheyCallmeScooter]

The world is not ready and largely not willing to have drugs liberalized. Thailand cannot make legal any substance that is prohibited every where else .

Methamphetamine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in treating ADHD and exogenous obesity (obesity originating from factors outside of the patient's control) in both adults and children.^[9]

Methamphetamine is a Schedule II drug in the United States and is sold under the trademark name Desoxyn.^[9]

Desoxyn may be prescribed off-label for the treatment of narcolepsy and treatment-resistant depression.^[10]

Banned in Thailand.

Part of the addiction for some people is the life style and for needle users a lot of them have a love affair with the needle no matter what is in it.

Sounds like they have a love affair with pain relief. Such villains!

Congratulations' date=' you have written in lively and concise manner the exact opinion of many, that are not the majority today, but it might become in the future.

I will have to look back at your post when I'll want to explain my view on the matter again

[/quote']

+1