A survey of Thai student use of illicit drugs.

In a survey of drug use by 1,506 Thai students, about one-fourth report having used illicit drugs and 6% report current use. Point prevalence of drug use in this population appears to be much lower than that reported by local news media. Prevalence and patterns of drug use among Thai and American students are remarkably similar. The authors conclude that easy availability of drugs of abuse does not necessarily lead to endemic or epidemic use. The isolation of high risk groups and study of cultural factors which may help to maintain low levels of drug use are suggested for future research.