Dentists reject 'Boss' cocaine story

Vorayuth Yoovidhya is escorted to the Thong Lor police station in Bangkok for interrogation, hours after a crash that killed a police officer on Sept 3, 2012. (Photo: Kosol Nakachol)
Vorayuth Yoovidhya is escorted to the Thong Lor police station in Bangkok for interrogation, hours after a crash that killed a police officer on Sept 3, 2012. (Photo: Kosol Nakachol)

Dentists do not use cocaine as an anaesthetic on patients, the president of the Dental Council said on Friday, rejecting the excuse police used for not filing a drug charge against Red Bull heir Vorayuth 'Boss' Yoovidhya.

Pojanart Poomprakobsri, the council president, was responding to a report that police found cocaine in Mr Vorayuth’s system after a fatal hit-and-run in 2012 but decided not to press a narcotics charge because the drug had been used in dental treatment.

Dentists no longer used cocaine because its anaesthetic effect was short-lived, and it has been linked to hypertension and impact on the hearts of patients, Mr Pojanart said.

Dentists use other substances that are better and fewer side effects. As a result, cocaine has disappeared from dentistry, he said.

The Dental Council was ready to provide police with information, he said, adding that it wanted information on the dentist who treated Mr Vorayuth so that it could verify if cocaine was really administered.

Confusing accounts of the drug investigation are among many developments that have emerged since it was learned that prosecutors had dropped all charges in the case against the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families, causing national outrage.

Mr Vorayuth, now 35, was accused of driving his black Ferrari when it struck the rear of a policeman’s motorcycle at high speed, dragging his body along Sukhumvit Road before speeding away in the early morning of Sept 3, 2012. The victim was Pol Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert, 47, who was based at Thong Lor police station.

Vocabulary

  • anaesthetic: a substance that makes you unable to feel pain or makes you fall alseep - ยาชา,ยาสลบ
  • cocaine: (or coke) an illegal drug used as a stimulant -
  • council: a group of people chosen to give advice, make rules, do research, provide money - สภา, คณะกรรมการ
  • dentist (noun): a person whose job is to take care of people’s teeth - ทันตแพทย์,หมอฟัน
  • dentistry (noun): the medical study of the teeth and mouth; the work of a dentist - ทันตกรรม, งานของหมอฟัน
  • hit-and-run: (of a road accident) caused by a driver who does not stop to help - ที่ชนแล้วหนี
  • hypertension: high blood pressure - ความดันโลหิตสูง
  • narcotics: illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine or crystal methamphetamine - ยาเสพย์ติด
  • outrage: extreme anger - ความโกรธอย่างรุนแรง
  • press charges: to accuse someone officially of committing a crime - ตั้งข้อกล่าวหา
  • prosecutors (noun): lawyers whose job is to prove in court that someone accused of a crime is guilty อัยการ - อัยการ
  • scion (noun): a young member of a family, especially a famous or important one - ทายาท
  • substance: a particular type of liquid, solid, or gas - สาร

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