Fewer Smokers Now

[george]

Fewer smokers now

BANGKOK: -- The number of Thai smokers has fallen by nearly 40 per cent in the past 20 years as a result of strict enforcement of seven anti-smoking laws and effective awareness campaigns, Public Health Ministry deputy permanent secretary Manit Theeratantikanont said yesterday.

There are now 9.54 million people aged 15 years or older who smoke daily, compared with 11.7 million smokers in 1987. Of the 9.54 million current smokers, 4.5 million are chain smokers and suffer from lung cancer and related diseases, he added.

On World No Tobacco Day on Thursday, the Health Ministry will focus on curbing second-hand smoke and raising awareness about its harmful effects, in line with the World Health Organisa-tion's (WHO) theme for this year.

Local campaigns will include strengthening measures of all seven anti-smoking laws, Manit told a Bangkok seminar heralding the ministry's anti-smoking campaigns.

WHO's global motto for the No Tobacco Day this year is "100% Smoke-Free Environments: Create and Enjoy" while the ministry's message is "Without cigarette smoke, the environment is good and life is fresh and clear".

HRH Princess Somsawali will preside over Thursday's No Tobacco Day events at MBK Centre in Pathum Wan from 11am to 7pm.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will jointly enforce more no-smoking zones in public areas in Bangkok, especially in Chatuchak Market and other BMA-regulated marketplaces.

There are now 18 "quit smoking" clinics in BMA-run public health centres across the capital. Of the 1,915 smokers who sought assistance from the clinics, 815 managed to quit, according to the BMA, which has been operating the centres for two years.

-- The Nation 2007-05-29

[Scott]

D*amn it! I just started smoking again. I had quit for a couple of years and it just seemed like everybody smoked and it seemed so cool, so I started again. Now I have people always looking at me funny when I am smoking and then telling me how badly I smell!

Life sucks sometimes.

[quiksilva]

Count me amongst that number, 3 weeks so far and counting...

[swindonabroad]

What are the 7 anti smoking laws?

[Jai Dee]

Thai smokers decline with effective anti-smoking laws

The number of smokers in Thailand has dropped by 38 per cent in the past 15 years due to the government's success in enforcing anti-smoking laws, according to a senior medical doctor.

Dr. Manit Teeratantikanont, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health and Thawat Suntrajarn, Director-General of Department of Disease Control spoke on Thailand's use of tobacco at a press conference for World No Tobacco Day to be observed Thursday.

Thailand's enforcement of anti-smoking laws has effectively reduced the number of smokers in the kingdom, they indicated.

According to the National Statistical office, the number of Thai smokers dropped by 38 per cent from 11.67 million to 9.54 million between 1991 to 2006. The percentage of smokers in the same period in Bangkok fell from 32.33 per cent to 13.9 per cent.

Deputy Bangkok governor Wallop Suwandee and Thai Health Professional Alliance Against Tobacco president Dr. Somsri Pausawasdi also participation in the anti-tobacco press conference, saying citywide public campaigns calling for a "Smoke-Free Bangkok" will be launched on May 31.

Among anti-smoking measures, Wallop said, are inspections of public places including tutorial schools, game shops, and karaoke lounges to ensure they adhere to the law banning smoking in public places.

To help smokers kick their habit, quit-smoking clinics have been set up to offer services at six public health centres in Bangkok, he added.

Meanwhile, HRH Princess Soamsavali will preside over the opening ceremony of the anti-smoking campaign on May 31 at MBK center.

Many activities, including an exhibition on dangers of smoking, a quit smoking counseling service, and free health check-ups will be held at the event.

Source: TNA - 29 May 2007

[Phil Conners]

Finally some good news in all the gloom and doom

[peter991]

That's good news - but did Public Health Ministry deputy permanent secretary Manit Theeratantikanont get his figures from asking people if they had stopped smoking or did he find out how many packets of cigarettes were sold in Thailand.

Maybe the number of smokers has dropped in urban Thailand, but it seems 99% of teenagers smoke in Issan.

Peter

[jayenram]

"Without cigarette smoke, the environment is good and life is fresh and clear".

Of course the car, truck and bus exhaust emissions in Bangkok are environmentally friendly.

[Phil Conners]

Keep the general pollution out of the discussion, two wrongs don't make a right.

[leisurely]

Maybe it could be connected to those nasty picture on the front of my ciggies. A new set have been issued which seemed to have upped the ante. The first lot didn't bother me at all, there are two new ones though that are very nasty and it took me a while to work out the water being poured over cadaver one

[tayto]

Again statistics from Thailand can be taken with a grain of salt( not credible) just like the 2% unemployment figure.

I would love to find out where they get all these figures from.

I'm sure it isn't accurate nor does it take into consideration all the people who roll their own or the imported cigarettes.

[kmart]

WHO's global motto for the No Tobacco Day this year is "100% Smoke-Free Environments: Create and Enjoy" while the ministry's message is "Without cigarette smoke, the environment is good and life is fresh and clear".

Thats catchy, eh? Can I get that on a t-shirt ?

I remember a few years ago when some Thai anti-smoking campaign kicked off its promotion with a televised stunt in which some health official cut a large inflatable cigarette in half with a sword. This being LOS, the "cigarette" had been inflated with Hydrogen, and duly exploded in a lovely ball of flame, burning the official and several bystanders.... Utterly priceless, and I would pay good money to see that again.

[alexth]

WHO's global motto for the No Tobacco Day this year is "100% Smoke-Free Environments: Create and Enjoy" while the ministry's message is "Without cigarette smoke, the environment is good and life is fresh and clear".

Thats catchy, eh? Can I get that on a t-shirt ?

I remember a few years ago when some Thai anti-smoking campaign kicked off its promotion with a televised stunt in which some health official cut a large inflatable cigarette in half with a sword. This being LOS, the "cigarette" had been inflated with Hydrogen, and duly exploded in a lovely ball of flame, burning the official and several bystanders.... Utterly priceless, and I would pay good money to see that again.

Where? Where?

[backflip]

Reads as an urban legend: "sword ignites hydrogen".

[kmart]

Reads as an urban legend: "sword ignites hydrogen".

Nope. Verified true as an "Honorable Mention" in the Darwin Awards archive.

darwin link

Wish I had a link to the video. It was a beaut!

[mikethevigoman]

Went to hard rock patters to eat on saturday night, great meal, good band, 10pm all the smokers burst into action,( restuarant closes ) MEN! we were out the door by 10.05 ,.sad i would hate to be addicted to anything !

[mikethevigoman]

You used to be able to go outside for a bit of fresh air,I walked outdside royal garden and nearly choked i kid you not, all the smokers at it at the door entrance !,. and what about those smoking rooms at the airport, ive seen people running after a long flight to get in there ! and they wil tell you " im not addicted . i can stop whenever i like " ,.

[mikethevigoman]

Maybe it could be connected to those nasty picture on the front of my ciggies. A new set have been issued which seemed to have upped the ante. The first lot didn't bother me at all, there are two new ones though that are very nasty and it took me a while to work out the water being poured over cadaver one

What would it take to make you stop ?

[dave111223]

There are now 9.54 million people aged 15 years or older who smoke daily, compared with 11.7 million smokers in 1987. Of the 9.54 million current smokers, 4.5 million are chain smokers and suffer from lung cancer and related diseases, he added.

So according to this 50% of all smokers in Thailand have lung cancer?

[mikethevigoman]

There are now 9.54 million people aged 15 years or older who smoke daily, compared with 11.7 million smokers in 1987. Of the 9.54 million current smokers, 4.5 million are chain smokers and suffer from lung cancer and related diseases, he added.

So according to this 50% of all smokers in Thailand have lung cancer?

Hospitals must be overflowing ! ,true figure lost in the translation maybe ?