ELEPHANT ADDICTS

The perils of methamphetamines are becoming increasingly familiar on
the Front Range. While Colorado tries to wrap its collective brain
around little kids living in meth labs, across the world Thailand is
having similar troubles of its own-with their pacaderms.

There are 3,000 domesticated elephants in Thailand. Far from pets,
these intelligent creatures work for a living, often in illegal
logging operations or performing stunts on the street to entertain
tourists.

Elephant handlers notoriously crank the animals up with amphetamines
to overcome long hours, abusive handling and little nutrition.
Elephants engaged in logging-which was outlawed in Thailand in
1989-are fed the drug to increase the loads they haul. On the streets
baby elephants are often fed a diet of beer and meth while they spend
their youth balanced on small boxes to the amusement of passersby.

Thai vets have had to euthanize elephant addicts. Traffic accidents
involving these animals are increasing, as are incidents of the
creatures falling in sewers and dying.

Just like their human junky counterparts, tweaked-out elephants are
more commonly getting into conflicts within the community. And like
the human meth drama, these scenarios often end with cops gunning down
the raging addict in the streets.