Almost everyday there are reports in the newspapers about caches of yaba being seized or yaba dens being busted but the widespread abuse of the methamphetamine continues to rise at an alarming rate. According to the US National Drug Intelligence Centre, Yaba causes rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, and damage to the small blood vessels in the brain that can lead to stroke. Chronic use can result in inflammation of the heart lining. Overdoses can cause elevated body temperature, convulsions, and death. Individuals who use Yaba also may have episodes of violent behaviour, paranoia, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. Those who inject the drug expose themselves to additional risks, including contracting HIV hepatitis B and C. Literally 'crazy medicine' in Thai, Yaba is taking its toll on its users, mostly the urban youth. It has also ravaged a number of small towns and villages across the country, according to news reports.
The obvious question is what the narcotics department had been  doing while the drug business thrived. Evidently, the surveillance  on production, supply or marketing of such drugs was poor, if at all  there was anybody to bother about the ominous proliferation of the  drug. Another point that seems to be rather baffling is that the  yaba trade was being conducted by youths from rich and socially well-placed families. Were they powerful enough to neutralise the  enforcement of law?
Whatever might be the reason behind the malignant growth of the drug  trade and abuse, it has to be stopped in order to save our youths  from self-destruction. The law enforcers have already arrested a  number of suspected drug peddlers. And we expect that soon they will  be able to identify and catch the godfathers who might have been  controlling the business from behind the scene. Drug abuse has to be  prevented at any cost, if we don't want to find ourselves ensnared  with a social menace of the most unmanageable type.
 As is well-known drug counselling facilities in this country are few and far between. The government run drug programmes are understaffed and filled to capacity. Many of the private facilities also lack efficient counsellors and medicines. The fact of the matter is that yaba addiction creates severe physical and psychological problems in the user that need to be addressed by addiction professionals in order to ensure a healthy recovery. The battle against drug addiction is something no one can or indeed should have to face alone.