ADDICTS STAY AWAY FROM REHABILITATION

Little Evidence Of Users Saying `No'

The city administration's addict rehabilitation centres are not attracting
drug users despite the government's controversial crackdown.

Manop Kovitaya, director of Wat Paiton Health Centre, said there were now
rehabilitation units in all 62 city health centres, but few people were
attending them.

Lat Phrao and Wattana districts, for example, each had only four patients
being treated for methamphetamine addiction in January and February.

Last year, the city treated about 7,000 heroin addicts and almost 800
methamphetamine addicts.

Only 300 methamphetamine addicts were treated under the matrix intensive
out-patient system _ a United States approach which the city has aimed to
make a key treatment for all the estimated 55,000 city addicts, Dr Manop
said.

Introduced in 2001, the matrix system involves both addict and family
members in social and mental rehabilitation. It boasts a reduction of
addiction relapse among patients from 95% to 30%.

Dr Manop blamed lack of publicity for the low turnout, but expected numbers
to increase as methamphetamines became more scarce and more expensive.

``Methamphetamine, unlike heroin, doesn't create severe suffering early in
the quitting process,'' he said ``But the serious addicts with brain
problems will find rehabilitation necessary.''

The city could treat up to 3,000 methamphetamine and 10,000 heroin addicts
at once at all health centres.

Ameena Beedinlae, leader of a Klong Toey community block, said there had
been little enthusiasm in saying no to drugs on the Klong Toey area, even
after the government raids. ``It's still common to see addicts sneaking to
take drugs around here,'' she said.