BANGKOK, Feb 4 — Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday expressed satisfaction over the attempt to crack down on illicit drugs during the past four months, but stressed that more effort was needed to prevent to return of drugs into the communities.
Ms Yingluck presided over the policy meeting on drug suppression under the government’s ‘drug war’ policy attended by armed forces representatives, provincial governors, provincial police commanders and other related agencies at the Government House.
She said the drug crackdown was on the national agenda and the government has to take a proactive approach to eradicating the narcotics problem in society.
The premier said she has assigned Deputy Prime Minsiter Chalerm Yubamrung to supervise the remedy and asked Education Ministry to address the drug problem in schools.
She said that the government wanted to see considerable advances in the “War on Drugs” within one year, and there must be improvement by 80 per cent from the present situation.
The spread of drug in the communities would be reduced, the number of users would be cut and some 400,000 users would be sent to rehabilitation with the hope that 80 per cent of them would not return to using drugs again, she said.
Meanwhile, drug smuggling points along the border would be policed more strictly and all agencies concerned would have to work with better coordination.
