Bt10.3 billion allocated to tackle drug abuse

[Lite Beer]

Bt10.3 billion allocated to tackle drug abuse
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- With a budget of Bt10.3 billion allocated for the 2014 fiscal year to tackle drug abuse, the Justice Ministry plans to get the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) find addicts who can undergo mandatory rehabilitation.

The ministry will also amend laws so that provincial governors have the legal authority to search prisons without the consent of a prison director and allow Probation Department officials to get convicts on parole to undergo urine tests, acting permanent secretary of Justice Charnchao Chaiyanukij said.

He pointed out that there were some 1.2 million drug addicts in the country, but only half that number have undergone the obligatory rehabilitation course.

Charnchao said the budget would be shared between related agencies, namely Justice, Interior, Labour and Social Development and Human Security ministries.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Bt10-3-billion-allocated-to-tackle-drug-abuse-30238319.html

-- The Nation 2014-07-12

[terryp]

more money down the toilet, i dont know the answer but all i see is billions being spent by MANY Countrys for at the end of it ......NOTHING .......as drug use in EVERY COUNTRY is increasing

[Seastallion]

10.3 billion buys a hell of a lot of bullets.

Do they really need THAT many?

[graemeaylward]

It has been proved in many different countries that you cannot make people change with "mandatory rehabilitation". The drug dependant person must first want to change, and even then it is a long hard slog, often with many lapses and relapses. Both drug user and drug worker need time, persistence, patience, care and understanding for any long term rehabilitation to work. Making rehabilitation "mandatory" is not the answer I'm afraid.

Sent from my Lenovo A3000-H using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[selftaopath]

Mandatory Rehabilitation? lol

They really don't know much about addiction.

Maybe next the "brain trust" will borrow a philosophy from the late Nancy Reagan, "Just Say No." lol

[beenhere2long]

10.3 billion buys a hell of a lot of bullets.

Do they really need THAT many

<deleted> has bullets got to do with it?

or is it a poor attempt at humour?

[Bender]

10 billions baht.. finally some lucky people will be able to buy the lamborghini, bentley and ferrari

that have been put to auction few days ago and didnt found any taker.......

[lostsoul49]

Yet another waste of money... It won't work.

Drug education doesn't sink in, and they already know all the cons of using drugs, they don't care... They have an attitude, it's my body I will do what I want with it.

[PermaNewb]

so now there's more money in fighting drugs than there is in selling them...

just another in a long list of unsustainable policies...

[JeremyBowskill]

Has a 50 year war on drugs, with nations spending thousands of times more money than that, taught them nothing? Spending the money on educating the poor, to offer them more choices in the first place might have more effect.

[mrtoad]

Sadly they are pretty clueless about the whole thing. Many of The Politicos are still championing drug free ASEAN 2015, which was originally due to have started in 2010.

There are some good people working in the field , but it is currently to politicised for it to really get to a point where more effective policies work. As stated mandatory rehabilitation is not the answer. This is a big budget operation, so for the politicos nothing needs to change.

Edited July 12, 2014 by mrtoad

[noitom]

This 10.3 billion is funding for Thai rats who rat out other Thais for payment. None of that money will be spent to track, prosecute and convict Thai Mr. Big drug dealers, backers, and bankers.

[Ridercnx808]

You guys have never seen someone strung out on hard drugs (not weeed or X), they cannot help themselves and they simply lose control....they need help.

Whether its training for an occupation and finding work to reduce the amount of free time...an idle mind is a succeptible one....and an unhealthy body has a weak mind.

If youve ever seen some twitching from smoking meth with a blank gaze from no sleep from 4 days, youd realize some people simply cannot control themselves when it comes to drugs.....a true addict will always be a true addict, but you have to give them that window of sobriety so they realize just how <deleted> up their life was and reflect on it so they can make a decision.

[belg]

give them all

ibogaine

[mrtoad]

give them all

ibogaine

Why?

[graemeaylward]

Unfortunately Ridercnx808, I have seen and worked with far too many hard drug abusers so do not make sweeping generalisations. In my post above, I agree with you.

Sent from my SM-N7502 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ginjag]

This 10.3 billion is funding for Thai rats who rat out other Thais for payment. None of that money will be spent to track, prosecute and convict Thai Mr. Big drug dealers, backers, and bankers.

Not all but a vast amount of police must have knowledge of who is in on the act, so are these people too powerful to NAB ???

Work on prevention, better than cure.

What will happen you keep getting the horses back, but the gate is still open, so were spending money on someone to collect the horses. The gate IS the problem.

[fab4]

Well I doubt they will be sent to rehabilitate at The Cabin, Chiang Mai - not at $12,000 a month ( http://www.thecabinchiangmai.com), I think it's almost compulsory to be a rich white addict there, judging by their "promotional" material. More likely it will be on the lines of Wat Thamkrabok ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9090805 ).

This paper by the Canadian HIV/Aids Legal Network dated 2009 gives an insight into Thailands compulsory drug treatment: http://www.aidslaw.ca/publications/interfaces/downloadFile.php?ref=1429

One point I found of interest, was that the army ran the less intensive "rehabilitation centres". The more hardcore addicts, those deemed severely dependant upon drugs were sent to camps run by the Navy and Air Force. Notwithstanding the logic, or not, of that arrangement, the assessment of who is deemed "hardcore" or not appears to be arbitrary.

[cgphuket]

Complete joke. Thailand is 150 years behind in drug addiction treatment and they plan to stay that way. I am a Western trained, graduate level addiction counselor with 20 years experience. I have been working in Thailand for 5 years (foreign companies, with mostly foreign clients). I have contacted several Thai government agencies several times to offer my experience in consulting and program advising (for free!!!) and have never gotten one response. In 5 years I have not met one Thai counselor, psychiatrist or psychologist who knows the first thing about treating addiction. Sad when a country chooses to remain 3rd world.

[Thai at Heart]

Wowsers.

10bn. That is some serious wedge . How many billion method pills did they catch last year?

How many meth factories and Mr.Bigs did they catch? Hmmmm

How many little guys did the send for rehab for one pill last year. A million?

[city]

With a budget of Bt10.3 billion allocated for the 2014 fiscal year to tackle drug abuse, the Justice Ministry plans to....

Is 30% of this budget to be use as payment to individuals from the Judiciary for their role in bringing down the previous government...Who;s watching the watchers

[ParadiseLost]

He pointed out that there were some 1.2 million drug addicts in the country, but only half that number have undergone the obligatory rehabilitation course.

He pointed out that of the 1.2 million addicts, half had completed rehab yet they are still classed as addicts?

Perhaps there were 1.8 million but the rehab is 100% effective?

It would be interesting no doubt to know the re-offend (relapse?) rate amongst those rehabilitated souls. My best guess is 90%

Some prisons could be converted into hospitals as a more humane way of dealing with drug addiction. Allow new ventures as profitable institutions as they have with prisons in the US. At least improve conditions and show a bit of humanity.

[Doc Blake]

This 10.3 billion is funding for Thai rats who rat out other Thais for payment. None of that money will be spent to track, prosecute and convict Thai Mr. Big drug dealers, backers, and bankers.

Not all but a vast amount of police must have knowledge of who is in on the act, so are these people too powerful to NAB ???

Work on prevention, better than cure.

What will happen you keep getting the horses back, but the gate is still open, so were spending money on someone to collect the horses. The gate IS the problem.

Far too much money to be made by keeping the gate open, going under, around and over the gate. Prevention has never worked and never will work. Where there are customers who want to buy, there will be producers and sellers willing to sell them as much as they want. You can walk out your door right now and with the money buy what ever you want, simple supply and demand.

So all of the years of wasted budget money, filled prisons, street addicts, dead bodies and ruined lives add up to one big unworkable mess. Three countries have legalized and many are planning to follow and they have found the problem much easier to handle!

[Chris Lawrence]

Mandatory Rehabilitation? lol

They really don't know much about addiction.

Maybe next the "brain trust" will borrow a philosophy from the late Nancy Reagan, "Just Say No." lol

That was the extent of the US budget spending on drugs for that period, Nancy with her voice "just say No". They are committing money, but are they going to get value for their buck? Probably not.

[mrfill]

He pointed out that there were some 1.2 million drug addicts in the country, but only half that number have undergone the obligatory rehabilitation course.

He pointed out that of the 1.2 million addicts, half had completed rehab yet they are still classed as addicts?

Perhaps there were 1.8 million but the rehab is 100% effective?

It would be interesting no doubt to know the re-offend (relapse?) rate amongst those rehabilitated souls. My best guess is 90%

Some prisons could be converted into hospitals as a more humane way of dealing with drug addiction. Allow new ventures as profitable institutions as they have with prisons in the US. At least improve conditions and show a bit of humanity.

The recidivism with meth is higher than for any other illegal drug

[ParadiseLost]

I recall reading a report which highlighted that during the 1990s, over a ten year period, the USA had spent more on drug enforcement than the proceeds of drugs consumed in America. The DEA is huge and much like the military will only get bigger as they have powerful lobbyists who can and have swung elections.

To spend more on enforcement is not going to improve matters for the man in the street. Drugs will continue to be stronger and cheaper as technology improves. So-called 'Legal Highs' are now swamping enforcement agencies in the EU/UK, showing that people want drugs; if you continue to deny them there is a huge black market and an industry out there ready to provide.

If governments were to just purchase the drugs directly and destroy them it would be 100% more effective. Buy as much as can be produced, cancel the weapon orders and disband the army of agents - how much will the drug war cost then?

[ginjag]

This 10.3 billion is funding for Thai rats who rat out other Thais for payment. None of that money will be spent to track, prosecute and convict Thai Mr. Big drug dealers, backers, and bankers.

Not all but a vast amount of police must have knowledge of who is in on the act, so are these people too powerful to NAB ???

Work on prevention, better than cure.

What will happen you keep getting the horses back, but the gate is still open, so were spending money on someone to collect the horses. The gate IS the problem.

Far too much money to be made by keeping the gate open, going under, around and over the gate. Prevention has never worked and never will work. Where there are customers who want to buy, there will be producers and sellers willing to sell them as much as they want. You can walk out your door right now and with the money buy what ever you want, simple supply and demand.

So all of the years of wasted budget money, filled prisons, street addicts, dead bodies and ruined lives add up to one big unworkable mess. Three countries have legalized and many are planning to follow and they have found the problem much easier to handle!

It is an easier way to handle maybe, so legalize what types. ???? all ??? as it's easier to handle. My take on this is legalise the less harmful, the hard stuff Never. We have to keep fighting that, for future kids lives.

If you have this never mind legalise, we get further involved with drug related offences and they are near every crime. Therefore we have further probs in society.

[Robert2006]

more money down the toilet, i dont know the answer but all i see is billions being spent by MANY Countrys for at the end of it ......NOTHING .......as drug use in EVERY COUNTRY is increasing

There are not many “drug dependent” users; most users are recreational, the majority of users have no drug addiction their intent is the same as in drinking alcohol to have fun. Like alcohol trying to stop it is impossible, governments are not stupid they know it.

Drugs are an enormous income generating business for governments, they earn tax free cash from sales, the tax revenues funneled into suppressing drug crime provide the drug enforcement complex their jobs, and they generate revenue and provide jobs through the court and prison systems.

All governments’ tax revenues are skimmed by the connected, 10.3 billion is a nice target of opportunity the more revenue streams they have pouring in the more opportunities they have.

The drug laws were not created help or protect, it’s a product, a service, a business that makes money, and it’s a win/win for government money and control. The governments are not going to lose the drug complex cash cow, nothing is going to change.

[Seastallion]

10.3 billion buys a hell of a lot of bullets.

Do they really need THAT many

<deleted> has bullets got to do with it?

or is it a poor attempt at humour?

It's a snide poke at Thaksin's death to druggies campaign.

Seems like you have not been here long at all.

[Seastallion]

more money down the toilet, i dont know the answer but all i see is billions being spent by MANY Countrys for at the end of it ......NOTHING .......as drug use in EVERY COUNTRY is increasing

There are not many “drug dependent” users; most users are recreational, the majority of users have no drug addiction their intent is the same as in drinking alcohol to have fun. Like alcohol trying to stop it is impossible, governments are not stupid they know it.

Drugs are an enormous income generating business for governments, they earn tax free cash from sales, the tax revenues funneled into suppressing drug crime provide the drug enforcement complex their jobs, and they generate revenue and provide jobs through the court and prison systems.

All governments’ tax revenues are skimmed by the connected, 10.3 billion is a nice target of opportunity the more revenue streams they have pouring in the more opportunities they have.

The drug laws were not created help or protect, it’s a product, a service, a business that makes money, and it’s a win/win for government money and control. The governments are not going to lose the drug complex cash cow, nothing is going to change.

There are bugger-all "non-dependent recreational" heroin users, and I daresay yaba users....and several other addictive drugs.

As for the rest of your post.....did you forget to put your tinfoil hat on today?