Korat: Korat police mobilized forces to crack down on e-cigarettes and kratom juice, finding that most of them have already been shut down. After the outbreak of e-cigarettes and kratom juice among youth, and three primary and secondary school students in Buriram Province were taken to the hospital due to using these drugs, this incident has created panic among parents, especially the families of the children, who just found out that their children had been smoking e-cigarettes for more than two years, causing many parents to come out and call on the government and relevant agencies to take serious action to deal with this problem.
According to Thai News Agency, reporters recently surveyed Soi 30 Kanya, Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima District, a community near educational institutions, including several schools and universities. They found that many shops that used to sell kratom juice and e-cigarettes had all closed down. Some shops have turned into beauty salons, food and beverage shops instead. This changing situation reflects the results of control and crackdown measures by officials.
Currently, there are 186 shops in Nakhon Ratchasima Province that are legally licensed to sell kratom leaf tea, but there are still people who secretly sell it to people under the age of 18. In addition, there are reports that many shops secretly mix antihistamines into kratom tea to increase its intoxicating effect, which affects the health of consumers. The Nakhon Ratchasima Police have been cracking down on shops that violate the law continuously, arresting an average of 20 offenders per month. As a result, from February 2024 to the present, more than 187 cases have been prosecuted.