Ministry of Public Health to burn 32,966 kilograms of narcotics on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

          Ministry of Public Health organized 49^th Destruction of Confiscated Narcotics on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a total of 16,467 kilograms, worth over 20,047 million baht. Most of them were methamphetamine, ice/crystal methamphetamine and heroin. Narcotics Suppression Bureau also together destroyed 16,499 kilograms of hemp seeds.    

             June 26, 2019 at the Utility and Environment Management Centre, Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate in Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya province, Mr. Teres Krassannairawiwong, Secretary-General of Food and Drug Administration was the president of 49^th Destruction of Confiscated Narcotics on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, held on every June 26. Foreign dignitaries, executives from government and relevant agencies from both the public and private sectors, including the Royal Thai Police, Narcotics Suppression Bureau, the Royal Thai Army, the personnel from the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate, and the media had witnessed the destruction process.

The narcotics to be destroyed consisted of confiscated illicit drugs from the holdings of the Thai Food and Drug Administration, weighing 16,467 kilograms, seized from 6,910 cases, worth over 20,047 million baht, including Methamphetamine, weighing12,369 kilograms (about 137 million pills);  Ice/ Crystal Methamphetamine, weighing 3,443 kilograms; Heroin, weighing 143 kilograms; MDMA/MDA, weighing 14 kilogram, Cocaine, weighing 44 kilograms, Opium, weighing 258 kilograms and other active ingredients, such as Ketamine, Alprazolam and  Ephedrine and other non-narcotics such as Toluene, all of which weigh over 193 kilograms. In addition, there were more than 16,499 kilograms of hemp seeds from Narcotics Suppression Bureau. all of the confiscated drugs were destroyed by Pyrolytic Incineration method at high temperatures of not less than 850 degrees Celsius to ensure that it will not cause air and environmental pollution. The destruction of confiscated narcotics is held for 2 days: June 26 and July 5, 2019. 

            The statistics of narcotics destructions between 1977-2019, a total of 49 times, was over 145,243 kilograms, worth over 217,390 million baht. Amphetamine and Methamphetamine were destroyed at the highest amount at 90,521 kilograms, followed by Opium and other narcotics at 29,258 kilograms, Heroine at 25,270 kilograms and Ecstasy at 193 kilograms. 

Mr. Teres  Krassannairawiwong, Secretary-General of Food and Drug Administration said that the Ministry of Public Heath, together with relevant agencies have integrated and continued to solve drug problems seriously and continuously, especially in terms of the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. It focuses on relapse prevention. For the 2019 fiscal year, more than 219,275 drug addicts have been targeted for rehabilitation, consisting of 136,725 persons volunteering for the rehabs, 56,550 were forced to rehab, and 26,000 persons were convicted addicts. From 1 October 2018 to 18 June 2019, a total of 133,962 persons have gone through drug rehabilitation process, accounting for 61.09 percent. This comprised of 61,360 volunteers, 58,864 forced rehabs and 13,738 convicted addicts. Over 800 hospitals nationwide are equipped with internationally standardized rehabilitation system. The public could also reach the rehabilitation hotline at 1655.

**********************  26 June 2019