Senior minister wants to see E-cigarettes legalized in Thailand

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

E-cigarettes could become legal in Thailand if a senior cabinet minster gets his way.

 

Digital Economy and Society minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn said Thais need to move with the times and modern technology.

 

He said that 67 countries around the world had accepted electronic cigarettes.

 

Some of them are big ones like the US and China.

 

Even Malaysia allows them, reported Thai Rath.

 

The minister said that the devices have far fewer harmful effects than regular cigarettes and can be a useful tool in getting people off them.

 

He pointed out that campaigns in Thailand to get people to quit were having a limited effect - 10 million still lit up.

 

E-cigarettes could help people who can't quit because they are less harmful.

 

He plans to look at aspects of the law to see why Thailand forbids them.

 

ASEAN NOW notes that the sale of E-cigarettes is quite open in Thailand even though they are illegal. 

 

However, from time to time there are crackdowns on vendors and jail terms await those who sell them

 

Importers could be jailed for up to 5 years.

 

Though it is unlikely individual users would be arrested many people have pointed to Thailand lagging behind the rest of the world on the matter.

 

Countries like the UK have embraced the devices with vaping shops in many high streets now a common aspect of daily life. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2021-10-06

 

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Was in Klong Thom BKK market last week and obseved many small stalls openly selling e cigarette products.

 

They all seemed to have lots of customers as well.

If it is legal too smoke cigarettes then it may as well be legal to vape.

Both fruck up your lungs and both are obnoxious to non users.

God way to reduce its use. Pretentious t.@ts only blow large clouds of vapour about because they think they are being cool because it is illegal.

Why illegal? Thailand has not decided how to tax and monopolize it yet.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

E-cigarettes could help people who can't quit because they are less harmful.

They are less harmful but that does not mean they are safe.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html

8 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

They are less harmful but that does not mean they are safe.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html

The original concept of nicotine vaping products which could be gradually decreased in content so as to wean off the addiction were deemed safe and certainly less harmful than conventional tobacco.

Problems arose with the introduction of placebo flavored products which have been found to contain some very harmful ingredients. These are the ones teens often use for "image" purposes.

If Thailand were to legalize but enforce penalties on dangerous product they would be more in step with many places.

About time if they legalize it again.

 

Personally don't smoke, but gf does and it's a pain in the butt that she has to smoke regular cigarettes when we're in Thailand.

Tried nikotin replacements but didn't help.

 

It helped her a lot to change from regular smokes to vaping. She don't use any flavours, so it does not smell one bit when she vape which is nice compared to regular cigarettes or vapes with all sorts of weird flavours.

Her breath improved, she don't cough so much, don't get exhausted so fast and there also is the advantage that vaping creates no leftover buds like regular cigarettes.

 

Is it healthy.

Nope, but it sure is less deadly than regular cigarettes if you vape without flavours and it's less annoying/dangerous for those close by.

 

We sat and talked about moving to Thailand after going through our finances and we have we enough to move permanently, but she will not consider it as long as vaping is illegal.

 

It's just silly that regular cigarettes are legal and vaping is not.

 

 

10 minutes ago, Nojohndoe said:

The original concept of nicotine vaping products which could be gradually decreased in content so as to wean off the addiction were deemed safe and certainly less harmful than conventional tobacco.

I agree they are less harmful, not sure I'd call them safe though...

2 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

I agree they are less harmful, not sure I'd call them safe though...

True but it's nice with an alternative to regular cigarettes.

 

Personally i say, legalize vaping but ban the flavours.

Many of those shifting from regular cigarettes to vaping are not doing it for the flavour, but to get their nicotine in a less deadly way and by banning flavours it might disencourage younger people from starting if it does not taste of anything.

30 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

I agree they are less harmful, not sure I'd call them safe though...

True. "safe" in the sense they are not deemed to be "worse" but safer than cigarettes at least.

Should definitely be legal. They helped me quit. First I went from normal cigarettes to 50% vaping/50% normal cigarettes. Then I went 100% vaping, then I stopped vaping. Haven't smoked in about 6 years now.

 

The only reason they are illegal is because of a concern of a loss of tax revenue. They'd rather people died of lung/throat cancer than lose the revenue stream.

17 minutes ago, Virt said:

True but it's nice with an alternative to regular cigarettes.

 

Personally i say, legalize vaping but ban the flavours.

Many of those shifting from regular cigarettes to vaping are not doing it for the flavour, but to get their nicotine in a less deadly way and by banning flavours it might disencourage younger people from starting if it does not taste of anything.

My personal views are somewhat harsh on both smoking and e cigarettes, but that's me.

 

My gripe here isn't the product as such but rather the manner some promote them as being safer than cigarettes but play down the fact they are not really safe as the minister in the OP does.

16 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

My personal views are somewhat harsh on both smoking and e cigarettes, but that's me.

 

My gripe here isn't the product as such but rather the manner some promote them as being safer than cigarettes but play down the fact they are not really safe as the minister in the OP does.

I hear ya, and promoting vaping as safe is not the right way to go.

It's still deadly in the long run, but overall it's a better alternative which might end up giving the smoker a few more years in the end.

 

It's hard to know how deadly it exactly is, since we haven't had 50 years of vaping data to look into.

Using the same argument he should also propose to legalise battery operated dildos and other sex toys!

If he can get Anutin on board and show how one can vape THC oil then not only it will be legalised but also sponsored????

3 hours ago, Nojohndoe said:

The original concept of nicotine vaping products which could be gradually decreased in content so as to wean off the addiction were deemed safe and certainly less harmful than conventional tobacco.

Problems arose with the introduction of placebo flavored products which have been found to contain some very harmful ingredients. These are the ones teens often use for "image" purposes.

If Thailand were to legalize but enforce penalties on dangerous product they would be more in step with many places.

Ridiculous statement. How can any atmospheric pollutant be 'safe' for your lungs? Tell me. They may be less harmful than cigarettes but safe they are not.

The minister might have some personal financial interest in the form of stocks? 

I am always surprised as when in the rest of the world countries are banning these kind of products because it has been proven that they are not good for your health in Thailand somebody stands up and goes exactly in the opposite direction. I wonder where they find and why they always find these stupid persons? Who is responsible for putting them in such high places where they can cause more harm then they do good for the people of in this case Thailand?

We have seen similar decisions made in the covid pandemic in Thailand. They where doing so good. One of the best in the world and now.... In the world there is no proof of combining sinovac with astra zeneca. Thailand does. And even after 4 weeks after the first dose with sinovac. There should be at least 8-12 weeks between shots to get better protection results. Not a single medical thorough scientific investigation has been published about this combination of vaccines. Not even de WHO recommends or approves such. But the Thai minister authorises this and says its ok! Based on what?  And now another one without any knowledge of the human body, education and medical skills wants to legalize e-sigarettes?  It seems that Thailand is always going the opposite direction. 
 

I am sorry but this is not good again for the well being of the Thai people. Personel Economic Interest is the reason of advising such? I hope not.

So this is news? What about the number of covid 19 cases and deaths? They must be getting better so why report?

54 minutes ago, brommers said:

Using the same argument he should also propose to legalise battery operated dildos and other sex toys!

I never smoked so I cannot "move with the times and modern technology and start vaping"  ...am I retarded?

 

56 minutes ago, brommers said:

Using the same argument he should also propose to legalise battery operated dildos and other sex toys!

 

4 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

Why illegal? Thailand has not decided how to tax and monopolize it yet.

My thoughts too. I think they are just waiting for the Thai tobacco monopoly to seal up the distribution and sales before they make it legal. Same goes for Marijuana.

4 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

God way to reduce its use. Pretentious t.@ts only blow large clouds of vapour about because they think they are being cool because it is illegal.

Having been a smoker since I was 14, vaping is a godsend to me. However, I agree about the clouds of vapour being pretentious.

It’s not going to happen to much revenue will be lost as the sales of cigarettes will fall drastically 

4 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

They are less harmful but that does not mean they are safe.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html

Neither is crossing the road... 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

 

5 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

Why illegal? Thailand has not decided how to tax and monopolize it yet.

However Digital Economy and Society minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn 

thinks he scents an opportunity...

4 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

They are less harmful but that does not mean they are safe.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html

For every report that says they are not safe you will find another that says they are.

If you read your link it is very careful to say on every topic that e liquids can, emphasis on the can, contain certain chemicals etc etc 

In countries like america and the UK there are strict guidelines to ensure that these are not contained within the products for sale there.

People read one report and make their mind up. 

The simple fact is they are, by far, safer than smoking cigarettes and no evidence has yet to be shown that they are significantly dangerous to ones health as all the reports only speculate.

To my knowledge it has also never been challenged that the vapor given off is toxic in any way to others.

 

 

 

Glad to see the priority list, all other pending items in Thailand seem to be done and dealt with!

Congratulations are in order, well done boys, keep up the good work. 

4 hours ago, Nojohndoe said:

If Thailand were to legalize but enforce penalties on dangerous product they would be more in step with many places.

And enforce helmet wearing whilst riding a motorcycle, and enforce the wearing of masks if two people are in a car together.   555

5 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

If it is legal too smoke cigarettes then it may as well be legal to vape.

Both fruck up your lungs and both are obnoxious to non users.

One is orders of magnitude worse than the other in both examples. The damage you may be citing in vaping seems to pertain to non standard concoctions