Crackdown On Alcohol Consumption

[george]

Govt anti-alcohol bill

BANGKOK: -- The Thai government plans new legislation to control Thai consumption of alcohol, according to government officials.

The proposed bill aims to control the sale of alcohol and limit the hours of sale and where it can be bought.

Nearly 100 health officials from across the country discussed the proposed bill at a meeting, chaired by Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan, here on Monday.

The government should spend the revenue collected from the taxes on alcohol to fund the treatment of people who are addicted and to launch campaigns to urge Thais to refrain from drinking, the Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn, urged.

The number of Thai drinkers has dramatically risen, with more than 300,000 new drinkers a year, according to Mrs. Sudarat.

More than 18 million Thais consume alcohol, or a third of the population over the age of 11.

Thailand is the world’s fifth largest consumer of alcohol.

Alcohol also causes five times the number of deaths than drugs.

Stomach cancer, kidney failure, strokes and automobile accidents have killed 30 percent of Thai drinkers so far.

--TNA 2005-03-01

[toastwars]

That means 30% more booze for me!

[Pattaya_Fox]

Govt anti-alcohol bill

BANGKOK: --  The Thai government plans new legislation to control Thai consumption of alcohol, according to government officials.

The proposed bill aims to control the sale of alcohol and limit the hours of sale and where it can be bought.

Nearly 100 health officials from across the country discussed the proposed bill at a meeting, chaired by Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan, here on Monday.

The government should spend the revenue collected from the taxes on alcohol to fund the treatment of people who are addicted and to launch campaigns to urge Thais to refrain from drinking, the Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn, urged.

The number of Thai drinkers has dramatically risen, with more than 300,000 new drinkers a year, according to Mrs. Sudarat.

More than 18 million Thais consume alcohol, or a third of the population over the age of 11.

Thailand is the world’s fifth largest consumer of alcohol.

Alcohol also causes five times the number of deaths than drugs.

Stomach cancer, kidney failure, strokes and automobile accidents have killed 30 percent of Thai drinkers so far.

--TNA 2005-03-01

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...Stop the Thais from drinking??......you might as well ask mice not to eat cheese...

[Lars]

How is a "drinker" defined?

[Wolfie]

Someone who consumes fluids i guess

Thailand is the "hub" of t-totalers...

bugger!

[Lars]

Makes me another number in the stats then...

[sriracha john]

More than 18 million Thais consume alcohol.

Alcohol also causes five times the number of deaths than drugs.

Stomach cancer, kidney failure, strokes and automobile accidents have killed 30 percent of Thai drinkers so far.

I think their statistics are a little screwy???

30% of 18 million would mean 5.4 million Thais die from alcohol???

and by extension... 1 million Thais die from drugs???

[dr_Pat_Pong]

More than 18 million Thais consume alcohol.

Alcohol also causes five times the number of deaths than drugs.

Stomach cancer, kidney failure, strokes and automobile accidents have killed 30 percent of Thai drinkers so far.

I think their statistics are a little screwy???

30% of 18 million would mean 5.4 million Thais die from alcohol???

and by extension... 1 million Thais die from drugs???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only a little screwy John ? That stat's guy musta been on somethin' really strong I reckon

[Sphere]

Govt anti-alcohol bill

Stomach cancer, kidney failure, strokes and automobile accidents have killed 30 percent of Thai drinkers so far.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At that rate, we'll all be extinct in a little over 3 years.

Govt anti-alcohol bill

The number of Thai drinkers has dramatically risen, with more than 300,000 new drinkers a year, according to Mrs. Sudarat.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's just not enough. Need to think of some kind of incentive to make sure we ride this one out!

[JacknDanny]

Govt anti-alcohol bill

BANGKOK: --  The Thai government plans new legislation to control Thai consumption of alcohol, according to government officials.

The proposed bill aims to control the sale of alcohol and limit the hours of sale and where it can be bought.

Nearly 100 health officials from across the country discussed the proposed bill at a meeting, chaired by Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan, here on Monday.

The government should spend the revenue collected from the taxes on alcohol to fund the treatment of people who are addicted and to launch campaigns to urge Thais to refrain from drinking, the Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn, urged.

The number of Thai drinkers has dramatically risen, with more than 300,000 new drinkers a year, according to Mrs. Sudarat.

More than 18 million Thais consume alcohol, or a third of the population over the age of 11.

Thailand is the world’s fifth largest consumer of alcohol.

Alcohol also causes five times the number of deaths than drugs.

Stomach cancer, kidney failure, strokes and automobile accidents have killed 30 percent of Thai drinkers so far.

--TNA 2005-03-01

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I love this place and I will be here until my dying day, but having seen this piece and then read page5 of todays Bangkok Post, its no wonder people are confused with the so called Thai logic.

For those of you who havent read the paper, it tells of a high rankink copper who crashes into a taxi pissed in Bangkok. He tries to run away but is too pissed and gets detained by the cabbie. Cops arrive request he takes a breath test which he refuses. Had he took the test and it was positive, he would have been jailed and would have lost his job according to the paper. Instead the officer elects to pay a 1000 baht fine for resisting the alcohol test!!!!!

Justice indeed!!

[Limbo]

In many big shops you can only buy alcoholic stuff from 11.00 untill 14.00 and after 17.00.

That is to prevent kids from drinking. The signs say so.

I really wonder if that works.

Do kids only drink between 14.00 and 17.00?

Do kids buy their alcohol only in big shops?

Did kids only drink alcohol purchased between 14.00 and 17.00?

I really hopes it works, but I wouldn't know how.

[terdsak_12]

There's not much else to do in this country though!!!!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

There's not much else to do in this country though!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is also a bit of the ' other ' entertainment.

[aaaaaa]

...Stop the Thais from drinking??......you might as well ask mice not to eat cheese...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

true ! they'll rather start to make booze at home.

my wife told me how since shildhood she helped her mom who was making making wisky at home....

but then - not only Thais love it....

and also - they wanna regulate the consumption, not stop it completely. sort of - make it more organised / disciplined ! positive intention seems to be

[SiamJai]

The government should spend the revenue collected from the taxes on alcohol to fund the treatment of people who are addicted and to launch campaigns to urge Thais to refrain from drinking, the Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn, urged.

That should help...

[dr_Pat_Pong]

...Stop the Thais from drinking??......you might as well ask mice not to eat cheese...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

true ! they'll rather start to make booze at home.

my wife told me how since shildhood she helped her mom who was making making wisky at home....

but then - not only Thais love it....

and also - they wanna regulate the consumption, not stop it completely. sort of - make it more organised / disciplined ! positive intention seems to be

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Prohibition went well in the US of A didn't it

[villa_boy1]

Govt anti-alcohol bill

The number of Thai drinkers has dramatically risen, with more than 300,000 new drinkers a year, according to Mrs. Sudarat.

More than 18 million Thais consume alcohol, or a third of the population over the age of 11.

--TNA 2005-03-01

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

On the subject of screwy statistics...

Why are their statistics based on the population over the age of 11? Is this what age they think Thai's start drinking?! My impression that very very few 11-16 year old Thai's drink alcohol.

If we only consider people over the age of 16, then 18 million would actually equate to about 40-50% of the population consuming alcohol (rather than a third), which paints an even more serious picture.

[Johpa]

If we only consider people over the age of 16, then 18 million would actually equate to about 40-50% of the population consuming alcohol (rather than a third), which paints an even more serious picture.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In the rural areas where I send my time in LOS, I would think that a 40-50% rate of heavy drinking of males above the age of 16 is about right. And perhaps 20% of those people become clinical alcoholics. The degree of alcoholism in the villages does vary as Thai villages do have personalities with some villages known for their heavy drinking while others may be known for other things such as gambling.

Many years ago I befriended an American doctor, a urologist, on a flight who volunteered services up in Chiang Mai and also brought over medical supplies. He told me that the urology wards were always over filled with Thai patients with fatal kidney diseases from alcohol consumption. He noted that whereas chronic American alcoholics were usally around 60 years of age when diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, his Thai patients were often in their 40s and 50s.

Although cirrhosis of the liver is just outside the top ten causes of death in the US, I would guess that it is in the top five in Thailand. After AIDS and auto accidents (many also alcohol related as are homicides) it seems to be the number 3 killer of men in areas I have llived for extended periods of time. If you were to add in the related causes of death associated with heavy drinking I would think alcoholism would be the leading cause of death in the Kingdom in the rural areas.

[SiamJai]

If you were to add in the related causes of death associated with heavy drinking I would think alcoholism would be the leading cause of death in the Kingdom in the rural areas.

<*nods>