Amphetamines replace opium in northern district


Foreigners show opium menu in restaurant in Vang vieng

Luang Prabang province may have been declared opium free, but amphetamines are becoming the new challenge for drug enforcement officials in many rural districts.

Head of the provincial Drug Control and Supervision Office, Mr Bounheuang Bouliyaphon, said that following the declaration of opium eradication in 2005, amphetamine use was becoming more prevalent.

He added that about 1,440 registered former opium addicts were receiving treatment in rehabilitation centres throughout the province, but amphetamine abuse was rapidly overtaking opium.

“We have to work harder to solve the problem because we estimate 4,500 people are taking amphetamine tablets and of those 63 people were known suppliers,” he said.



Authorities had noted low-scale amphetamine use in 2000, but at the time dealing with opium eradication was considered more important.

“Now we have a treatment centre, funded by the Japanese government, but we're looking for more funding so that we can employ more staff,” said Mr Bounheuang. He added that when the centre is operational it will accommodate 50 people for treatment.

“We have also run education campaigns and warned parents to inform their children about the risks of drugs,” he said.

Last year, officials in the province seized 3,790 amphetamine tablets from drug traffickers.

Mr Bounheuang said it would be quite difficult to get the province declared drug-free by 2010, because the number of drug users was still high compared to neighbouring provinces.

Drug abuse is causing social problems, with theft often linked to drug-taking, he said.

“Last year, we checked two schools and found 10 drug users. We're now planning to check other schools because the drug problem is spreading in many districts of Luang Prabang province,” Mr Bounheuang said.

Luang Prabang district now has one of the most serious drug problems in the province, with 983 registered drug users, so officials are organising training and campaigns about the dangers of drugs.

Traffickers who bring the tablets from other countries to sell in the province will be the main target of police efforts, according to Mr Bounheuang.


By Meuangkham Noradeth
Vientianetimes