THAILAND'S ECONOMIC CRISIS FUELS DRUG ABUSE

A study shows that the frustration of low-paying work resulting from the
recession has contributed to the widespread abuse of amphetamines

BANGKOK - The frustration of low-paying work resulting from Thailand's
economic crisis has contributed to the enormous growth in the trafficking
of illegal amphetamines, according to a study by a private research centre.

The study by the Thai Farmers Research Centre, released on Monday, predicts
that as many as 400 million amphetamine tablets would make their way to the
Thai market this year, despite the government's targeting the drug as the
nation's No 1 social problem. The sales value of the illegal drugs could
reach 50 billion baht (S$2.2 billion), the centre reported.

Related spending, such as for suppression and medical treatment, brings the
total cost to society up to more than 100 billion baht, it estimated.

The centre believes that as many as 300,000 labourers use amphetamines,
with the large number of construction projects in Bangkok helping to make
it the country's biggest market for the drug.

Almost 90 per cent of 728 labourers in metropolitan Bangkok surveyed by the
centre said that they used stimulants, including amphetamines, to help them
work longer and earn more.

Most of the workers believed that the drug had no particular negative
effects or addictive qualities, added the report.

Those surveyed did not treat amphetamine users as social outcasts but
considered them as hard workers who want to improve their families'
standard of living.

Thailand has only started to recover from the financial crisis, which saw
more than one million layoffs.

The report suggested that the drug problem could be stamped out only after
a healthy economy had returned to bring more job opportunities.