New kind of sleeping pills abused in place of ecstasy

BANGKOK, Nov 13 (TNA) -- A new kind of sleeping pills is being widely abused in place of ecstasy pills in three southern border provinces and is 10 times more active than conventional sleeping pills, according to the Department of Science Service and the Provincial Police Region 9. Dr Sukhum Kanchanapimai, director-general of the Department of Science Service, and Pol Maj Gen Daoloi Mueandej, deputy commissioner of the Provincial Police Region 9, said the new kind of sleeping pills called Etizolam was being abused in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces. Etizolam was ten times stronger than conventional Diazepam and took effect as long as 6-8 hours, he said. Each Etizolam pill is orange and is stamped with “5” on one side and “28” on the other side. Each pack sees aluminum on one side and transparent red plastic on the other side and contains 10 pills. Its sales are permitted in Japan, Italy and India, Dr Sukhum said. Pol Maj Gen Daoloi said the abuse of Etizolam was spotted in the far South a few months ago. It was smuggled from a neighboring country. The pills were sold at entertainment venues and are dissolved in alcohol, not in water. Wachira Ampon, addictive substance control director of the Food and Drug Administration, said the medicine had not been registered as an active ingredient and thus was not controlled by law. Concerned officials were likely to propose the registration in the future, he said. (TNA)