Almost 50% of drug addicts in Laos relapsed into their condition after being rehabilitated for the same, said a police officer in Vientiane Capital.
Maj. Thanongsak Vongkaysone, Deputy Head of the Department of Police Treatment and Vocational Traning of Drug Users Center said during an interview that half of the drug users in Laos went back to consuming narcotics after being treated at Somsanga Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre.
The center treats over 1,500 individuals from 20 to 35 years old and 30 to 40 percent of the substance users hail from provincial areas in Laos with the youngest user being just 12 years old and the oldest being 67, according to Maj. Thanongsak.
The individuals who come to the center suffer from the addition of amphetamine, heroin, opium, cannabis, alcohol, ketamine, and other narcotic substances.
He revealed that some of them have again returned to the facility for additional treatment for their primary issues of unemployment and family problems which made them relapse back into their addiction after going to rehab the first time around.
Despite financial support from the government, families, and other donations, the center faces some challenges to accommodate all the people who come to receive treatment as there are insufficient doctors and staying facilities available at the premises.
Apart from rehabilitation, the center also provides vocational training depending on the willingness and skills of each individual.
The Department of Labor and Social Welfare in Vientiane Capital has funded training in cooking, farming, animal husbandry, brickmaking, carving, and other skills, for those recovering from their drug addiction at the center.
