(IPS) feature

The Thai government gave its youngsters a rather odd 'gift' just ahead of the country's National Children's Day last week a proposal to require urine tests on students in schools and universities to detect drug use.

This mandatory testing, aimed at pinpointing and reducing the number of drug users in the country, mark the second phase of the 'social order' campaign of the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

''It is to evaluate the real situation of drug addiction among students and would enable the government to draw up a comprehensive strategy to effectively combat the problem,'' said Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun. He said the students found using drugs would be treated and rehabilitated.

Under the first phase of the 'social order' campaign, Bangkok's lively nightspots were told to stop selling alcohol after midnight and to close at 2am, in order to ensure that bars do not admit those under 20 years old and do not serve them alcohol.

Now, the government is turning to another social ill drug use that has been worsened by narcotics that come from neighbouring Burma.

The latest newspaper reports estimate that there are 600,000 students nationwide, from university to primary schools, who are drug addicts in this country of 70 million people.

Violating rights

But not everyone agrees with the mandatory urine test idea some say it runs the risk of violating people's human rights, others say it is not feasible since testing is not foolproof and would cost too much given the large number of students that could be tested.

Likewise, some analysts say the proposal does little to address the problem of drug use at its roots.

''I think the government is making quite a wrong turn towards the problem,'' Khemporn Virunrapan, director of Foundation for Child Development, said in an interview. ''Being identified as drug addicts would only push them into worse conditions.''

''With this, we do not have to talk about the accuracy of drug testingand complication after the results have come out,'' she said, even as some government officials and drug expert said that people could find ways to cheat on the tests or influence the results.

"I think after the problems caused by the prevalence of drug use in schools, it is reasonable to conduct this urine tests on all students," said 16-year-old Mati Tajaroensuk, a 10th grade student of Nawamin Krungthep School in Bangkok. ''At least, I will be happy to undergo the tests.''

''It would be nice if activities, such as music or sports, are supported in schools as well so that students can spend their time after classes having fun and being away from drugs,'' he added.

"This could be considered gifts on Children's Day for both well-behaved students and those who are drug addicts," said Mati. "It assures good students that they will be in better environments, while those using drugs will be given aid to quit and later come back to help their communities."

He suggested that those found to have used drugs not be expelled from school, but encouraged to stop using drugs.

Wide support

The proposal of mandatory urine tests has received wide support from school directors as well as parents and students, but many said such tests should be carried out randomly.

''There are more than 40,000 schools nationwide, which means a lot of students. The tests should be carried out in those areas prone to drug abuse and only on students who appeared to be drug users should be tested,'' said Deputy Education Minister Sirikorn Maneerin.

''The scheme would cost at least 80 baht (US$1.80) a head, and there is no guarantee that it would work,'' she told local media.

However, conceding that the drug problem has been affecting younger children, Sirikorn suggested the tests be conducted among students from grade seven up, which means those around 13 years of age.

Activists like Sak Korsaengrueng of the Law Society told the English-language daily Bangkok Post that urine tests forced on students without adequate grounds could end up violating people's rights.

But Purachai said, ''Schools would have to seek approval from parents first before carrying out the tests. And those found positive for drug usewould be treated under protection with counseling or rehabilitation and their records will be kept confidential.''

The starting date and details of the tests would be decided on Jan 25, the first meeting of the Drug Abuse Prevention Committee, jointly set up by the Interior Ministry, Education Ministry and University Affairs Ministry.

Problem worsening

Thus far, Purachai says, the real number of children and youngsters using illegal drugs has not been precisely established, although everyone knows that the social problem is worsening and despite estimates commonly cited.

Authorities can only speculate based on arrests and seizures of methamphetamine, which have sharply increased from 100 million pills each year to about 700 million pills a year today.

Indeed, the drug problem is so serious that it does not mean only youngsters getting into the drug habits, but becoming sellers too.

"Children have also become important players in the drug business because they needed money," Suwanna Tulyawasingpong, a researcher from the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) said last week.

She said many students used drugs and had to find money to afford the drugs they use. Moreover, children were introduced to the business by adults who saw a loophole in the law, because of its light punishment for children in this kind of offense.

Political issue

Prosecutions relating to narcotics have been increasing by about 46 percent each year. In 1998, some 19,960 drug-related cases were brought to the justice system, 20 percent of which concerned children's involvement in the drug business.

Because of the gravity of the problem, drug use is also, not surprisingly, a political issue for Thailand and ranked high in bilateral talks with Burmese officials who were here this week.

Officials here have expressed concern about the smuggling of millions of methamphetamine pills and other kinds of illegal drugs into Thailand, adding to the already growing problem of narcotics use.

At the meeting of the sixth Thai-Burma Joint Commission in the southernisland of Phuket, Thailand proposed to fund a 20 million baht (US$454,000) pilot project to help the Burmese government establish a 'model village' in border areas.

It would be patterned after a royal project in Thailand's northern Chiang Rai province, which has experience in rehabilitating drug addicts and in opium-crop substitution.