Earlier today, the Public Health Ministry issued a decree suspending the sale of Alprazolam, the generic name for Xanax, within Thailand. The Ministry claims that the stress relief medication has been used as a date rape drug, contributing to a growing number of sex crimes.
The decree sets June 17 as the date on which all sale, manufacture and import of the drug will be banned.
In a related statement, Food and Drug Administration secretary-general Dr. Boonchai Somboonsuk said that Alprazolam was frequently mixed with krathom in the chemical cocktail known as “4×100.”
The Bangkok Post reports that after June 17, state hospitals will still be allowed to sell the drug, but other retailers will have to return their stockpiles to manufacturers.
