The increase in amphetamine-type injection drugs is putting young Asians at risk of contracting HIV and other diseases, a UN official in Thailand warned Tuesday at an international conference on drug use. "We are witnessing a human tragedy unfolding at an alarming pace affecting our children and young people," said Robert Bennoun, regional advisor on HIV/AIDS for UNICEF. People ages 15-24 account for the majority of new HIV/AIDS infections worldwide, and many of the infections come from intravenous drug use, including the new trend of injecting amphetamine-type drugs, according to UNICEF. The drugs normally come in pills.

"Recent research has shown users of amphetamine-type substances are increasingly injecting their drugs of choice," a UNICEF statement said, noting about 33 million such users live in Asia. Bennoun also warned against a heavy-handed approach to rehabilitating young abusers: He called for more effective and coordinated policies to deal with the growing problem.

"Incarcerating young people in detention centers or their equivalent only serves to split families and communities with no evidence of effective result," Bennoun said at the five-day conference, which opened Sunday in the northern city of Chiang Mai. Hundreds of academic and other experts there are exploring ways to reduce the dangers stemming from drug use, including the spread of AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, and alcohol- and tobacco-related illnesses.

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