Thai youth agrees anti-vice campaign
Pattaya Today, 17. January 2006, 01:43

Over 80% want government crackdown The prime minister has called on Thai youths to refrain from all vices lest they should damage their brains. Speaking to about 1,000 representatives of Thai youth organizations, schools and universities from across the country, at a meeting at the shopping paradise of Siam Paragon, Thaksin Shinawatra made the case that alcoholic drinks, smoking, gambling, narcotics and improper sexual liaisons are the very vices that younsters should refrain from indulging.

тАЬIтАЭd like to advise Thai youths from getting involved in such vices as they damage your brain and reduce your consciousness. Sometimes the government needs to step in and control the induced environment to put a brake on the youths involved,тАЭ Thaksin explained. The participating youths evidently had a good response to what the premier suggested, with over 80% suggesting that the government strictly control the sale of alcoholic drinks and opening hours of entertainment venues. The youths said that the open sales of alcohol had led to several problems such as drunken behaviour, conflicts, accidents, accidents and unwanted pregnancies. The youths also proposed stricter controls of film and TV drama advertisements, especially those portraying teenagers in shocking behaviour, as well as books, magazines and on-line websites promoting pornography, gambling and narcotics. They added that teachers had a vital role to play in helping build a strong society and urged them to be good role models for children and adolescents. The prime minister said that the government was certainly willing to listen to the opinions of youths in matters of social policy and added that they now had much more information than in the past on which to build their judgments. He then commended the youths for their speeches and expression of ideas and added that the government would further solicit their views at a meeting at the same venue next month. One youth taking the podium stated that nearly everyone he knew wanted an end to pernicious vices whilst another commented that many evils were to be found on TV and on the internet. But a third youth disagreed and thought that the government should spend more time and effort raising educational standards than policing private lives.

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