More than 20,000 drug users in Thailand have been admitted for drug rehabilitation in the first half of this year, said Public Health Minister Pinij Jarusombat here on Friday.

The largest groups of persons with drug addictions admitted at rehabilitation centers nationwide are teenagers -- some 9,000 aged between 18-24, 72 percent of whom are addicted to methamphetamines, while others took cannabis, heroin and solvents (glue-sniffing), he said.

Citing research findings, the minister said 95 percent of the drug addicts would not return to take drugs again after a 12-month rehabilitation treatment.

Alongside the government's suppression of drug dealers and smugglers, Pinij said, the government in cooperation with non- governmental organizations has intensified campaigns of rehabilitating drug users to bring them back to society and thus strengthen the whole nation.

If there were no drug problems, a significant government budget of 200 million U.S. dollars for drug suppression and rehabilitation could, instead, be allocated for education, as well as scientific and medical research and development, he said.

Source: Xinhua