NEWS-Myanmar to Implement ASEAN Dru

[BurmaJapan@xxxxxxx]

Myanmar to Implement ASEAN Drug Control Project

               Xinhua
               17-NOV-97

               YANGON (Nov. 18) XINHUA - Myanmar is making preparations
to act as a host in
               implementing ASEAN members' three-year narcotic drug
control project individually
               and collectively. 

               According to today's official newspaper The New Light of
Myanmar, local medical
               officers are being trained on drug abuse surveillance and
substance abuse
               management. 

               The training also includes collecting data for demand
reduction as well as statistics
               on drug addicts to support law enforcement bodies in
demand reduction measures. 

               The three-year ASEAN plan, which was worked out at the
18th meeting of ASEAN
               Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD) in Bangkok in
1995, covers programs on
               education, treatment, rehabilitation, control,
eradication and research. 

               Myanmar last attended the 20th meeting of the ASOD in
Brunei in August as a
               full-fledged member of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN). 

               According to official statistics, there were 56,847
registered addicts in Myanmar in
               1996. Of them, 62 percent are opium addicts, 29 percent
heroin addicts and 9
               percent addicted to other drugs. 

               Six major drug treatment centers have been set up in the
country covering Yangon,
               Mandalay, Myitkyina, Taunggyi, Lashio and Kengtung, the
statistics showed.