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Cambodia's Drug Abuse Increases

Posted on: Friday, 9 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

Cambodia's drug abuse increases

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's drug abuse and trafficking is growing, announced the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD) on Wednesday, newspapers reported on Thursday.

Drug circulation in Cambodia has increased without fail and drug abuse is becoming a serious problem in 15 provinces and towns across the country, Interior Minister Sar Kheng was quoted by Cambodia Sin Chew Daily as saying.

In addition, the creation of drug rehabilitation facilities is proceeding slowly, causing people to lose confidence in the government's fight against the growing narcotics problem.

The number of drug users has reached nearly 7,000, most of them in the capital of Phnom Penh. "But the real number of users is probably much higher," said Teng Savong, secretary general of the NACD.

Meanwhile, Sar Kheng praised the government enhanced the crackdowns on drug rings since the beginning of this year.

During the first eight months of the year, 265 networks were dismantled, compared to 248 in 2004, and 230,000 amphetamine pills were seized and 514 people arrested.

Sar Kheng urged the government and authorities concerned to continue their crackdown on the drug trafficking, and to further strengthen the propaganda campaign to let more people know the dangerous of the drug.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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