Smoking Ban To Be Strictly Enforced In All State Offices

[Jai Dee]

PUBLIC HEALTH MINISTRY PREPARES TO ISSUE LAWS BANNING ADVERTISING ALL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

The Public health ministry prepares to issue laws banning advertising all alcoholic beverages in all media. The laws are expected to be announced in March.

Public Health Minister Pinit Jarusombat (พินิจ จารุสมบัติ) said that the meeting of the Alcoholic Consumption Control Board has deliberated the draft legislation controlling alcoholic beverages and a law banning advertising alcoholic beverages in all media. He said that the advertising time has been proposed to change from 10 PM to 5AM to 2-5AM. However, he said that the committee decided to ban all advertisements of the products in televisions, radios, and print media.

Mr. Pinit said that a sub-committee has been set up to draft the law, adding that it should not take longer than 30-45 days and can be announced without cabinet approval. The draft legislation will also cover the distribution of alcoholic beverages, making the minimum age of alcoholic buyers from 18 to 21 years old.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 17 January 2006

[george]

Smoking ban to be strictly enforced in all state offices

Advertising of alcohol to be curbed or banned

BANGKOK: -- A decade after laws were passed limiting areas where staff can smoke in state offices, the government has finally decided to enforce them.

Any permanent secretary or chief of a state office who continues to turn a blind eye to staff or visitors violating non-smoking laws will be fined 20,000 baht, Public Health Minister Phinij Jarusombat warned yesterday.

The people caught puffing away will be fined 2,000 baht.

Smoking restrictions have long been enforced in private enterprise.

Mr Pinij was speaking after signing a memorandum of understanding with 20 ministries and nine state organisations, including the Prime Minister's Office, on the enforcement of non-smoking areas in state offices. It takes effect today.

He said although non-smoking regulations were introduced many years ago, there had been lax enforcement in government offices. The signing of the memorandum would serve as a reminder to smokers and senior officials that the law would be enforced.

The Public Health Ministry yesterday also agreed in principle on the need for tougher controls on the advertising of alcoholic beverages.

The national committee on alcohol control, chaired by Mr Phinij, will consider whether to shorten the period of TV advertising from seven hours to only three hours a day or to ban alcohol advertising altogether.

Ads for beer, spirits and other alcohol are allowed on TV only from 10pm to 5am, so as not to encourage drinking by adolescents. This may be limited to between 2am and 5am.

"We will work on the details. Hopefully, everything will be settled within 45 days," the minister said.

If a total ban on advertising alcohol in the media was implemented, television would be hardest hit in terms of revenue. Research by the Centre for Alcohol Studies found total annual media revenue for advertising of alcoholic drinks is about 2.3 billion baht, with 1.6 billion baht going to TV, 229 million baht to newspapers and 169 million baht to radio stations. The study was between 1999 and 2004.

According to a ministry survey, Thais drank an average 58 litres of alcohol per person in 2003, up from 20.2 litres in 1989.

Health officials have been particularly concerned about the rapid increase in drinking among the 11-19 age group.

New laws or laws being drafted aimed at stemming this trend include limiting areas where alcohol can be sold, banning alcohol sales at petrol stations, limiting sales hours in stores and raising the legal age from 18 to 21 years.

Drafting of the bills is expected to be completed the end of next month and they will then be sent to the parliament.

--Bangkok Post 2006-01-17

[george]

Alcohol advertising to be banned

BANGKOK: -- The public health ministry has rejected a recommendation to limit the hours for advertising alcohol on television, and will ban all advertising for alcoholic drinks, all the time, in all media. The laws are expected to be announced in March.

Public Health Minister Pinit Jarusombat said this morning that a meeting of the Alcoholic Consumption Control Board has deliberated the draft legislation controlling alcoholic beverages and a law banning advertising alcoholic beverages in all media. He said that the advertising time has been proposed to change from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to 2-to-5 a.m.

In the end, the minister told Radio Thailand, the committee decided to ban all advertisements of the products on television, on all radio stations and in all print media.

Mr. Pinit said that a sub-committee has been set up to draft the law, adding that it should not take longer than 30-45 days and can be announced without cabinet approval.

The draft legislation will also cover the distribution of alcoholic beverages, making the minimum age of alcoholic buyers from 18 to 21 years old.

In related news, protesters at the Securities and Exchange Commission have vowed to continue demonstrations against the approval of a Singapore stock market listing for bear and liquor giant Thai Beverage.

--Bangkok Post 2006-01-17

[george]

Government kicks off 'no smoking zones' at its offices

BANGKOK: -- The official ban on smoking at central government offices came into effect on Tuesday, with tough measures to be taken against any violators -- including the highest-ranking officials.

Announcement of the strict enforcement came after Public Health Minister Pinij Jarusombat and representatives of 29 government agencies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Monday effectively banning the use of tobacco on government premises -- except for specially-designated smoking areas.

Under the agreement, all state agencies have designated as "No Smoking Zone" and anyone caught lighting a cigarette outside the zone, for example, will face a Bt2,000 (US$50) fine, while any permanent secretary or higher-ranking official of a state office will be fined Bt20,000 (US$500) if any state employees or visitors are found violating the ban.

Among state agencies signing the MoU are the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Thai Police, the Attorney General's Office and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

The ban prohibits smoking during office hours and advertising tobacco products on government property. It also prohibits the sale of tobacco products on government premises as well as forbidding the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to children under the age of 18.

Agencies are also forbidden to accept sponsorships from tobacco businesses.

Currently, Thailand has about 10 million smokers and tobacco consumption has reached 60 billion cicarettes per year, according to the National Statistics Office.

--TNA 2006-01-17

[astral]

No smoking.

No alcohol.

No sex.

Not many pleasures, if any, left.

What comes next with this government?

Edited January 18, 2006 by astral

[Phil Conners]

Old discussion. Sex and alcohol doeesn't directly bother anyone but yourself.