Document 0199
 DOCN  M9550199
 TI    The family in Thailand and drug demand reduction: problems of urban Thai
       society in transition.
 DT    9505
 AU    Spielmann S; Graduate Program in Criminology and Criminal Justice,
       Faculty of; Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, Bangkok.
 SO    Bull Narc. 1994;46(1):45-66. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/95135401
 AB    Thailand is undergoing ever-accelerating socio-economic transformation
       which exercises tremendous strains on its basic social institution, the
       Thai family. The family has traditionally exercised firm control over
       its members, thus ensuring cohesion and conformity to social norms.
       Progressive destabilization and disorientation of urban society
       resulting in a weakening of its foundations and gradual erosion of core
       functions has led to a deterioration of the family's role and
       importance. The deterioration of the role of the family is even more
       critical in the Thai context because, traditionally, the Thai family
       provided the strongest and most dependable bulwark against social evils
       of any kind, not the least of which has become drug abuse. The grave
       state of the country's drug (heroin) abuse problems has recently been
       further aggravated with the emergent HIV/AIDS epidemic. That epidemic
       has affected substantial portions of intravenous heroin drug users,
       posing threats for families all over the country. Evidently, affected
       families have not been able to protect vulnerable members from becoming
       drug users; worse still, families have frequently contributed to
       creating or compounding the problem. Measures need be taken to
       effectively check this detrimental trend and avert further erosion. The
       Thai family needs reorientation, parenting and family skills. That would
       help reinforce the role of the family in preventing drug abuse as well
       as in rehabilitating former users. To back up the Thai family, still
       other social groups need to be recruited which can assume some of its
       stabilizing functions.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  Child  Family/*PSYCHOLOGY  Female  Human  Male  Role
       *Social Change  Social Control, Formal  *Social Problems  Socioeconomic
       Factors  Substance Dependence/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*PREVENTION & CONTROL/
       PSYCHOLOGY  Thailand/EPIDEMIOLOGY  *Urban Population  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
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