RESUMO
In Thailand, amphetamine locally called “YAMAH” are wrongly used as stimulants. They are widely available among teenagers in vocational schools. In a urinary amphetamine test conducted on three hundred and fifty vocational students aged 18-20 years 13.7% proved positive. Significantly half of the students testing positive were aged only 18 years, maybe because, being younger they are easily led which might have caused by their own inexperienced behavior. It was also found that 42.9% of these students had sex-related diseases, though most had sexual intercourse with their girl friends and only a few with prostitutes. On comparing the sexual histories, we found 62.5% of the positive group always used condom during sexual intercourse, while only 19.4% in the negative group did, a marked statistical difference. On proving deeper with the students test up positive we found that themselves male and female, are agents for the “YAMAH” are family problems and friends. All students realize the danger “YAMAH” poses to their health and the waste of money it causes. Yet, they would be able to stop taking “YAMAH” only if it were not still available in their own schools.