PHUKET: Phuket officials held a series of events yesterday (June 26) to mark ‘World Drug Day’. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), ‘the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking’, or ‘World Drug Day’, is marked on June 26 every year to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse.
At the Phuket Government Center Auditorium, Phuket Vice Governor Anupap Rodkwan Yodrabam presided over an event held to declare “Phuket Provincial Office joins Thai forces to stop drug threats with a declaration of intent and combine cleaning power”.
Vice Governor Anupap read a speech prepared by caretaker Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to mark World -Drug Day 2023, after which the hundreds of officials, students and members of the general public pledged an oath against drugs under the theme, “Phuket United, Power of Thailand”.
After the mass pledge, the participants then made their way to Suan Luang (King Rama IX Park) to take part in a ‘Big Cleaning Day’ cleanup of litter and other refuse throughout the park.
Officials and law-enforcement authorities were continuing their campaigns against drug users and dealers, noted a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket).
The most common drug seized in making arrests was methamphetamine (ya bah), followed by crystal meth (ya ice) and cocaine.
The most common drugs seized among tourists arrested were cocaine and alprazolam, often found used in conjunction with marijuana.
Officials were continuing their campaign against drugs, the report added, but noted that the focus was on rehabilitation.
A separate event was held at Srinagarindra the Princess Mother School, Phuket in Saphan Hin, with direct focus on students at the school.
The event was organised by the Phuket Juvenile and Family Court, and led by Central Juvenile and Family Court Chief Judge Ratthee Yomjinda.
The event was held to educate the students on the mental, physical and legal consequences of illicit drugs, and to warn them of the effects of using e-cigarettes.
Joined by Associate Judges, senior school management and staff, the event, including students, saw an estimated 400 people in attendance.
Chief Judge Ratthee explained that the focus on e-cigarettes was essential “because many children and youth today use e-cigarettes and they [e-cigs] are easily bought”.
“It is illegal and dangerous to health,” he said.
Paitoon Chotchaiphong, Chief Judge of the Phuket Juvenile and Family Court, called e-cigarettes an important “silent threat“.
“With marketing tactics such as advertising, e-cigarettes are believed to be harmless to health because there is no tobacco leaf,” he said.
“It also creates an image of smokers as being fashionable, but in reality it was found that e-cigarettes contain high amounts of nicotine, and e-cigarette devices can import into the smoker’s body four to nine times nicotine more than regular cigarettes,” he added.
“There are also many other chemicals in the solution that can cause harm to the body, and the solution itself is and addictive substance. This is why the smoker is ‘addicted’ no different from normal cigarettes,” Chief Judge Paitoon said.
“E-cigarettes are still illegal. Anyone who imports, sells or possesses will be prosecuted, which is punishable by both imprisonment and fine,” he added.
“Nowadays, many children and young people use e-cigarettes a lot. They are easy to buy and they lead to widespread addiction Therefore, creating knowledge and understanding among young people to be aware of the dangers of e-cigarettes is therefore important so that children and youths are aware of the dangers and stay far away from e-cigarettes,’ Chief Judge Paitoon concluded.
