MOPH to destroy over 5,136 k of narcotics on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

 Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has planned to destroy over 5,136 kilograms of confiscated narcotics, which has the street value of more than 10.961 billion baht, along with over 4,088 kilograms of marijuana, valuing at over 32 million baht seized by the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, 2016. The ministry also revealed that it has used the fiscal budget of 2016 to help rehabilitate a total of 95,569 drug addicts, dividing into 27,538 volunteers who had undergone rehabilitations at hospitals operating under the MOPH and the Bangkok Metropolitan, 25,129 addicts who had joined rehabilitation camps, 52,677 addicts were legally abided to receive rehabilitations, while 6,807 others are drugs convicts  who were rehabilitated during their imprisonment.

          Deputy Prime Minister ADM Narong Pipatanasai is set to preside over the 46^th Destruction of Confiscated Narcotics on June 24, 2016 at the Utility and Environment Management Centre in  Pang Pa-in Industrial Estate of Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya province on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls on June 26 of every year. The ceremony would also be witnessed by Public Health Minister, Honoured Clinical Professor Dr. Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, Deputy Permanent Secretary Dr.Visit Tangnapakorn, Secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Dr.Boonchai Somboonsook, diplomats, governmental office executives, and representatives from concerned agencies from both the public and private sectors, including the Royal Thai Police, Royal Thai Army, Narcotics Suppression Bureau, and the media.

          The net weight of confiscated narcotics brought in for destruction today is over 5,136 kilograms seized from 231,100 cases across Thailand, comprising of 4,240 kilograms or around 47 million tablets of Methamphetamine or  “Yaa-baa”, which has a street value of 9.423 billion baht,  422 kilograms of Crystal methamphetamine or “Yaa- ice”, valuing at 1.056 billion baht, 411 kilograms of Heroin worth about  441 million baht, 9 kilograms of Cocaine worth 28 million baht, 3 kilograms or around 15,457 tables of Ecstasy or“Yaa-E”, valuing at 12 million baht, 38 kilograms of Opium worth 400,000 baht, as well as other types narcotics substances, bringing the total street value of the planned-to-be destroyed drugs to 10.961 billion baht. In addition, another 4,088 kilograms of  Marijuana worth 32 million baht confiscated by the Narcotics Suppression Bureau would also be destroyed along with the above mentioned illegal drugs at the Utility and Environment  Management Centre in Pang Pa-in Industrial Estate of Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya province through the method of Pyrolytic Incineration, a high temperature incineration of no less than 850 degrees Celsius which would cause the molecules of the drugs to be turned into carbon in a short span of time, leaving no effects on the environment or the air.

          Public Health Minister Honoured Clinical Professor Dr. Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn  said the ministry has been integrating its operations with concerned agencies to rehabilitate drug addicts and users in line with the government’s urgent policy to solve the problem of drug addiction. The minister said works have been focused on quality operations where drug addicts were delivered into the rehabilitation program by means of volunteering first, in accordance to the 108/2014 announcement by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), where the ministry has also improved the standard of every rehabilitation system.  In the mean time,  the ministry has targeted that a total of 220,000 drug addicts would participate in rehabilitation processes, dividing into 69,700 volunteers who would willingly join in rehabilitation courses      at the hospitals operated by the MOPH, 55,300 persons would be asked to participate in rehabilitation camps, 77,500 addicts are legally required to join rehabs, while 17,500 would be rehabilitated during their imprisonment as they are convicted for narcotics-related crimes. The data from the 2016 fiscal year or from October 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016 has shown that a total of 95,569 drug addicts, accounting for 43.45  per cent of the targeted number have already participated in a rehabilitation process, comprising of 27,538 through the volunteering system from hospitals under the supervision of MOPH and the Bangkok Metropolitan, 25,129 at rehabilitation camps, 52,677 were legally abided to undergo rehabilitation, while 6,807 had participated in rehabilitation programs while being incarcerated.

          Over 800 hospitals under the supervision of the Ministry located within Bangkok and across the country have expressed their readiness to rehabilitate drug addicts through the use of a world-standard rehabilitation system, such as the Matrix, which would not only improve the body but the mind, and also the society, while encouraging family members to have a part in helping drug abusers to rehabilitate themselves. The rehabilitation course takes about 1-4 months long, after which those who had completed the course would be able to live happily in the community once again. Interested public in the rehabilitation program can contact the drug addiction hotline at 1655 for more information.

  ******************* June 24, 2016