Kanisorn Kaewlue.. The addiction of kratom plants among rubber plantation's farmers in Southern provinces of Thailand. Master's Degree(Addictionology). Mahidol University. Mahidol University Library and Knowledge Center. : Mahidol University, 2014.
The addiction of kratom plants among rubber plantation's farmers in Southern provinces of Thailand
Abstract:
The objective of this qualitative research is to study the daily behaviors including problems, obstacles, and need of Kratom plant addiction among rubber plantations farmers in southern provinces of Thailand. The population of this research were rubber plantations farmers in fourteen provinces in southern Thailand. The twelve farmers were separated into upper part and lower part using structured interview questions. The results of this research were concluded as follows: 1) Personal data; they were eleven males and one female from 25 to 60 years old. The average age was 44 years old. Most of them were Buddhists and Islamists with primary education background and they mostly got married. Their monthly incomes were approximately 15, 000 - 30,000 baht. 2.) Daily addictive behavior; the users confront using of the plants among members in their families. Those family members introduced the plants to promote the effectiveness of work. Also, the plants were used as herbal medicine and tonic. The participants were dependent in both physically and mentally. The usage of the plants are also in local cultural purpose e.g. ancestors spirits offerings, welcoming treats for visitors, etc. 3.) Addictive behavior; Kratom plants were available from their neighborhood (e.g. the plants were grown in the area around their shelters, buying-selling among community members). The formats of use were varied depending on how much work they had. Most farmers start eating Kratom plant leaves amount of work as soon as they wake at night before leaving for work, during work and after work respectively. The popular eating format is chewing fresh leaves together with other energy drinks, brewing as tea. The frequency of use was not significantly different depending on how much work they had. 4.) Problems, obstacles and need for Kratom plant; There was difficulty in using the plants due to legal enforcement by police officers. Demand of the leaves was main reason to not want to leave their areas because they continually consume for work. Some farmers had shown the short-term and long-term considerations to stop using the plants due to personal physical problems and influences from family members. 5.) Recommendation from the study; The government and private sectors should consider the context of Kratom plant usage as part of local culture heritage and tradition. The Kratom plant revealed their advantages in many aspects (e.g. working efficiency, disease treatment, physical nourishing, etc.) For the medical and physician benefits, we need to carefully consider legal aspects of Kratom plants in both advantages and disadvantages to avoid incorrect usage. The research should further qualitative study to compare the effects of Kratom plants to government policy for the highest benefits.