Drugs rehab at military camps in the planning, says Srettha

Security authorities have agreed to accept drug addicts for treatment at military camps, he wrote on his Facebook page.

“Drug addicts will be taken from villages, separating them from their communities, and sent for rehabilitation at hospitals in military camps located in their provinces,” Srettha wrote.

He had discussed the matter with Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang and Royal Thai Army commander-in-chief General Jaroenchai Hintao, Srettha added.

Drug addiction has become a serious problem in Thai society, said the prime minister, adding that MPs have received several complaints from their constituents asking for drug addicts in their communities to be able to access rehabilitation.

“There will be a press conference within two weeks about a concrete implementation plan,” the post noted.

Thailand has at least 600,000 people addicted to illicit drugs, with about 30,000 of them also suffering from mental illnesses as a result of their addiction, according to a Royal Thai Police estimate.

Methamphetamine, or “yaba” (“crazy drug”) in Thai, is the most prevalent among narcotics available in the country. Most are produced in the Myanmar-Thailand-Laos border area known as the Golden Triangle.

About 500 million methamphetamine pills were seized last year, up from 70 million in 2003, according to a Ministry of Justice report.