Ban Payup School Launches Herbal Health Promotion Project to Build Youth Resilience Against Drugs
BAN BUENG, Chonburi – Ban Payup School (Boonkee Prachanukroh) held a health promotion project focused on the use of medicinal herbs on Friday, August 14th, 2026. Mr. Aphirak Phoncharoensombun, Chief Executive of the Nong Phai Kaeo Subdistrict Administrative Organization, presided over the opening ceremony at the school’s multipurpose building in the Nong Phai Kaeo Subdistrict.
Among those attending were Phra Athikan Somchat, abbot of Wat Payup Bunyaram; Acting Second Lieutenant Dechaphat Phongsa-pan, director of Ban Payup School (Boonkee Prachanukroh); Squadron Leader Thongchai Sukhonthaphirom na Phatthalung, advisor on Thai traditional medicine and folk healers of Chonburi Province; Mo Naiyanan Wongthotsawat, Thai traditional medicine practitioner and folk healer of Chonburi; lecturers and students from the CNB program of the Institute for Nation Building Organization; as well as teachers and students of the school.
The project was organized jointly by Ban Payup School (Boonkee Prachanukroh), the Nong Phai Kaeo Subdistrict Administrative Organization, and Thai traditional medicine practitioners and folk healers of Chonburi. Its objectives are to develop positive attitudes and strengthen mental resilience among students as a means of preventing drug problems, to provide creative alternatives for reducing stress and promoting a sense of freshness in place of addictive substances, and to equip students with knowledge and practical skills in producing herbal inhalants from natural ingredients based on Thai traditional wisdom.
A total of 140 students from Mathayom 1 and Mathayom 3 (Grades 7 and 9) participated in the training. They learned how to apply local Thai wisdom and herbs to make herbal nasal inhalers, gaining hands-on experience in using natural plants beneficially to create freshness, promote relaxation, and serve as a healthy option for stress management. The activities are to build psychological immunity, encourage appropriate behavior, and help students use their free time constructively.
Mr. Aphirak Phoncharoensombun stated that drug problems require cooperation from all sectors, particularly in building immunity among children and youth, who represent a vital force for the nation’s future. Promoting knowledge, life skills, and productive use of free time among students is a key approach that can help keep them sustainably away from drugs.
He added that the herbal health promotion project is a creative initiative that applies medicinal herbs and Thai traditional knowledge, especially through the making of herbal inhalants. It gives students the opportunity to learn by doing, develop teamwork skills, responsibility, and creativity, and potentially turn the knowledge into a future occupation that can generate income for their families.
