Topic Reading-Vol.3897-12/12/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Thai monks fail drug tests leaving temple empty
Methamphetamine [meθ.æmˈfet.ə.miːn] is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Crystal methamphetamine is a form of drug that looks like glass fragments or shiny, bluish-white rocks. Methamphetamine increases the amount of the natural chemical dopamine in the brain. The drug’s ability to rapidly release high levels of dopamine in reward areas of the brain strongly reinforces drug-taking behavior, making the user want to repeat the experience. People can take methamphetamine by smoking, swallowing (pill), snorting, or injection. Because the "high" from the drug both starts and fades quickly, people often take it repeatedly. In some cases, people take methamphetamine in a form of binging known as a "run," giving up food and sleep while continuing to take the drug every few hours for up to several days. Furthermore, long-term methamphetamine use could cause many other negative consequences, including weight loss, addiction, dental problems, itching, anxiety, memory loss, and even violent behavior. It is indeed a highly addictive and dangerous drug.

Recently, a small Buddhist temple in northern Thailand was left without any monks because its four monks all failed the drug test, including the abbot. Methamphetamine traffic has increased substantially from Myanmar via Laos and become a major problem in Thailand. In fact, the former police officer who murdered 37 people, mostly children, in a nursery in November possessed the drug. These monks and the ex-police officer just may be the tip of the iceberg of the country’s drug problem.
Read the article and learn about how Thailand is penetrated by this addictive and affordable drug.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-63792923