Should Ireland Send Addicts to Thailand?

A recent article in the Irish Herald newspaper referred to some of my ideas about sending Irish addicts for treatment in Thailand. I would just like to expand on some of the issues raised in order to give a fuller explanation of my views. It is not my intention to come across as some sort of evangelist for any temple detox program in Thailand, but merely to suggest an option that I feel could work for some addicts.

Thamkrabok is not for Everyone

I don't believe that sending all Irish alcoholics and drug users to Thailand will solve the problem of addiction in the country. The temple only seems to work for those who truly want to give up substance abuse; half hearted efforts attempts are almost doomed to failure. The fact that the temple is so difficult to get to from places like Ireland is one of its great benefits; the people who do manage to make it there tend to be desperate. I was completely defeated by the time that I arrived at Wat Thamkrabok and this is why it worked for me.

Providing free air travel for every addict to go to Thailand is not going to work in my opinion; the idea is laughable when you think about it. What could work though is a fund provided by the HSE to assist those who are really ready to beat their addiction. This once off payment would cover the air-fare and a few expenses; the whole amount wouldn't be more than a thousand euro. It costs a few thousand Euro a day to detox patients in Ireland so this expense makes sense; it also works out a whole lot cheaper than keeping people on methadone. The treatment at Thamkrabok is only offered once and it is given for free; although most people will leave a donation at the end of their stay.

Lack of Resources in Ireland

The willingness to quit an addiction may only exist within an addict's mind for a short period; it is vital to work with this willingness quickly. There are not enough detox beds in Ireland and in some parts of the country there are none at all. This means that even if the addict is willing to come off drugs there are not the provisions to allow them to do this safely. The HSE seems more willing to spend money on methadone than detox; a suspicious mind could see the drug companies as having an influence in this.

I believe that Thamkrabok is a good treatment option but it is not my intention to dismiss what is already available in Ireland. There are some great treatment facilities that have a proven success rate. The reality is that no treatment option is effective for everyone; including the one at Wat Thamkrabok. I did not manage to escape addiction in the west, but I know plenty of people who did. My reasons for promoting this temple are that it is another option for those who have failed at everything else and because it makes such good financial sense.

Links

Article by Geraldine Gittens in the Herald - Send Our Alcoholics to Thailand for Detox (accessed 19^th May 2010)