Drug of choice

Ya ice has become the favourite drug of young abusers, partly because it is mistakenly thought to be safer than ya baa.

Senior military and drugs authorities inspect a drug haul of more than 2.4 million methamphetamine pills, 95kg of crystal methamphetamine and 3.4kg of heroin with a street value of about 1 billion baht in Chiang Rai yesterday. The drugs were seized from a pickup truck on Wednesday. THEERAWAT KHAMTHITA

Click button to listen to Ya ice and rightclick to download

'Ice' becomes drug of choice among young

Crystal methamphetamine, or "ya ice", is the drug of choice among young people, research shows.

Research by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) indicates that crystal meth is the most popular drug among addicts, half of them aged between 15 and 24 years old, said Naramon Chuangrungsi, director of the Narcotics Control Strategy Bureau.

The drugs are also popular among youngsters in Europe and the United States, Ms Naramon told a briefing on the government's drugs policy.

The Department of Provincial Administration on Wednesday briefed deputy governors and assistant district chief officers nationwide on the policy.

Ms Naramon said many people misunderstood that crystal meth is safer than methamphetamine, which had boosted demand for ice.

Ice is a purer narcotic and can be absorbed by the body at a quicker rate than methamphetamine pills.

The ONCB research found that 90% of ice found in Thailand was manufactured in Burma and Laos across the border from Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Mae Hong Son, she said.

Deputy Interior Minister Chuchart Hansawat said the government had shaped its drug policy based partly on advice from Her Majesty the Queen.

About 16% of youth in the troubled deep South are drug abusers, security authorities say.

Of 300,000 estimated young people in the three southernmost provinces, about 50,000 are drug addicts, said Col Udom Sawangsri, director of the drug prevention centre under Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4.

He said a cocktail made from kratom leaves, known as the "4x100" drug, is the most popular, followed by ice.

"Drug dealers let the teens take the substance for free at first, and then turn them into couriers," he said.

Col Udom said heroin, methamphetamines and marijuana are also widespread in the region with heroin being most popular in Narathiwat.

He said the Isoc Region 4 has been trying to fight the spread of the drugs with the help of religious leaders.

A total of 625 mosques have joined the anti-drugs programme and around 200 Buddhist temples are expected to join too.

authorities – people who have the power to make decisions or enforce the law เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้มีอำนาจ
inspect – to look at something carefully ตรวจสอบ
haul – an usually large amount of something that has been stolen or is illegal or something that has been taken from criminals by the police ของที่ถูกขโมยไปหรือถูกยึดไป
seize – to take something using official power and force ยึด, จับกุม
drug of choice – the favourite drug, i.e., the drug most people prefer
research – a careful study of a subject, especially in order to discover new facts or information about it การวิจัย
narcotics – illegal drugs such as heroin or cocaine; substances that relax you, reduce pain or make you sleep ยาเสพย์ติด, สารเสพติด
indicate – to show that something is true, exists or will happen แสดง, ทำให้รู้
addict – someone who takes illegal or harmful drugs and cannot stop ผู้ติดยาเสพย์ติด
strategy– a plan or method for achieving something, especially over a long period of time ยุทธวิธี, แผนการ  
youngster – a young person or a child  คนหนุ่มคนสาว,  เด็ก
briefing – a meeting in which people receive information or instruction คำแถลงการณ์สั้น,สรุปแบบสั้นๆ
policy – a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
deputy – a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง
nationwide – throughout a whole country  ทั่วทั้งประเทศ
boost – to increase เพิ่ม
demand – the amount of a product or service that people want ความต้องการ
pure – with nothing else added or included โดยตรง
absorb – to take in a liquid, gas or other substance from the surface or space around ซึมซับ ดูดกลืน
rate – the level or speed at which something happens or changes, or the amount or number of times it happens or changes in a particular period อัตรา
manufacture – to make and produce a product ผลิต
border – the official line separating two areas, regions or countries  เขตแดน อาณาเขต
shape – to have an important influence on the way that somebody/something develops  ก่อร่าง
advice – an opinion or a suggestion about what somebody should do in a particular situation  คำแนะนำ
abuse – to use something in a bad, dishonest, or harmful way (an abuser is a person who does this)  ใช้ในทางที่ผิด
estimated – thought to be a particular amount, size, etc. based on a guess or the best information available ประมาณการ
Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) – a unit of the Thai military devoted to national security issues กองอำนวยการรักษาความมั่นคงภายใน (กอ.รมน.)
cocktail – a mixture การผสมกัน
dealer – a person or company that buys and sells a particular product ผู้จำหน่าย
substance – a particular type of liquid, solid, or gas สาร
courier – a person or company whose job is to take packages, important papers or, in this case, illegal drugs, somewhere ผู้ส่งสาร
widespread – happening or existing in many places, or affecting many people อย่างแพร่หลาย
spread –  gradually affecting or covering a larger area การแพร่กระจาย
mosque – a building in which Muslims worship  มัสยิด, สุเหร่า