Phuket student drug flunkies heading for summer camp rehab

PHUKET: A group of 29 Phuket students – all of whom tested positive for drugs – are in for a summer camp they’d not expected.

They are now signed up to spend nine days getting clean and learning about the dangers of substance abuse.

From today, August 22, to 30, the students will join a stricter-than-normal summer camp at Phuket’s Cherng Talay Temple (map here).

The news follows officials from the Phuket Internal Security Office (PISO) yesterday carrying out urine drug tests on students at Phuket Technical College, Phuket Technology School, Phuket Vocational College and Plookpanya School.

A total of 827 students were tested, of whom 29 tested positive for illegal substances.

“The tests were part of a joint campaign by the Ministry of Education and Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut to tackle drug abuse in local schools,” PISO’s Suwat Bubphaphoe told the Phuket Gazette.

On the final day of the program at the temple, Deputy Minster of Education Sermsak Pongpanit will visit the camp to preside over the closing ceremony, he added.

“We hope this program will help people stop using drugs, as we all know drugs do nothing but harm your health and life,” Mr Suwat said.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong