Thai Public Health Min to propose stricter anti-smoking law

[webfact]

Public Health Min to propose stricter anti-smoking law

BANGKOK, 19 December 2014 (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health is preparing to propose a new draft law aimed at reducing the number of teen smokers.

The new anti-smoking law, if approved, is expected to fill the loopholes in the current one, which has been in effect for 22 years. Under the new tobacco control law, the definition of tobacco products will cover all kinds of things containing nicotine, including baraku, electronic baraku, and electronic cigarettes. In addition, people who can legally buy tobacco must be 20 years of age or above, instead of 18.

Advertisements, sales promotion activities, as well as points of sale of tobacco will be monitored more strictly. Operators will be unable to divide cigarettes into smaller units for sale as they will be required to sell them in the form of packets.

Over the past 20 years, more than five million Thais succeeded in quitting smoking. However, the number of teenagers taking up smoking is now close to the number of those who gave it up. The improved law is intended to reduce the rate of new smokers, which is estimated at 100,000 per year.

According to the Ministry of Public Health’s statistics, seven out of ten young smokers are unable to quit smoking throughout their lives. The rest can only give it up after 20 years of addiction. A young tobacco addict can cause 156,000 baht in economic loss and treatment.


-- NNT 2014-12-19

[chooka]

How are they going to monitor all the mum and pop stores. They make it easy for children to buy cigarettes, sell sell single cigarettes to children as young as 10.

[Bluespunk]

Dear lord, they've already gone after 1 and 2, I hope they leave 3 alone.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Bluespunk

[borisloosebrain]

Holier than thou Nazis. Sure smoking is bad for your health, but overly restrictive laws aren't that good for your well being either.

[Tatsujin]

How are they going to monitor all the mum and pop stores. They make it easy for children to buy cigarettes, sell sell single cigarettes to children as young as 10.

Indeed, and alcohol too, which is available to any age, at any time of the day or night, despite the laws in place to the contrary.

Kind of pointless having all these laws which just don't get enforced. But what do I know, I'm not Thai and I don't understand them (apparently). Actually I understand them very well, I just don't accept the bullshit they try to justify as the norm or (their version) of common sense.

[bushwacker]

I was at my local bar the other day and all of the lovely ladies advertising different beers were in street clothes. I asked the owner what was going on. He told me that there was going to be a visit by the army and police because the Health ministry wanted to enforce their rules. I looked up and saw a new non-smoking sign on the wall which measured about 1 meter x 1 meter.

Well the army and police showed up and did their inspection, checked a few id's, many smiles and were gone.

Ten minutes later the woman all changed into their sexy booze clothes and the sign came down.

I asked the owner what if the Army was just faking the move out and really were going to circle around and ambush you in 30 minutes. He laughed and said, you are talking about our Army. They are satisfied now because they carried out their orders to search and move on.

There seems to be a disconnect between the different levels of government.

[FangFerang]

"Operators will be unable to divide cigarettes into smaller units for sale as they will be required to sell them in the form of packets." Many adult Thais do not buy packs of cigarettes because they cannot afford them, which is why the mom and pop shops sell single cigarettes, single shots of Thai moonshine, and often rice by the kilo.

This legal action only leaves the lower income sellers susceptible to mandatory tea money by "random" inspectors of every uniform.

[Don Aleman]

I don't believe 5 million smokers stopped smoking and, in fact I don't believe any figure quoted by any Thai agency as, all, without exception have been proven grossly, not just a little bit but, GROSSLY incorrect

Doctors. researchers, every where told us for 30 - 40 years how harmful alcohol was and now encourage people to have 1 or 2 drinks daily. Same with bacon & eggs, salt/sugar/caffeine/milk and hundreds of other things that have taste ! Of course we are encouraged to load up on unidentifiable veggies, expensive tree bark items and anything that has any TASTE at all & better if they also look & smell bad.

As soon as Doctors parking lots seem empty, they find something else to ban or bitch about & yet, somehow, most of our ancestors never saw an MD and lived, fat /smoking/eating tasty/greasy foods and all, to be 100 ! My mother passed on with 1/2 a Polish sausage on her lips !

[Assurancetourix]

Maybe it can work but only in big cities where there are cops;

impossible in the countryside;

I'm living since more than seven years in a little village in Issan, I have never saw a policeman in it .

When it's forbidden to sell alcool - in fact it's never forbidden : if you buy more than ten liters at the same time u can buy alcool 24/24 - you can buy some - lao khao is often sell in second-hand M150 bottles ... in all groceries in the countryside , the same with cigarettes which are sold one by one and as wrote a TV member before me, even a 10 years old baby can buy ...

[cup-O-coffee]

I think it is already apparent (at least to me) that Thais in general are suffering from an advanced diagnosis of "Law-Fatigue".

I truly think they do not intend to obey any of these stupid laws, if their cooperation (and lack thereof) towards other laws is any indication.

What is that saying, "Actions speak louder than words"?

[kuiburi]

They should put there intention on all the pesticides that are forbidden in most country's of the world , here they still use it on the "healthy" frute and veggies .

[2fishin2]

Holier than thou Nazis. Sure smoking is bad for your health, but overly restrictive laws aren't that good for your well being either.

Whats "overly restrictive" about the laws?

Oh probably that they want to curb teenagers from smoking. Yeah thats not a good thing saving young people's lives. Sorry my mistake.

[h90]

At which age Thai men need to go to the army? 17 or 18?

So you are old enough to die for your country, but not old enough to decide if you want to buy a cigarette or not?

[h90]

Holier than thou Nazis. Sure smoking is bad for your health, but overly restrictive laws aren't that good for your well being either.

Whats "overly restrictive" about the laws?

Oh probably that they want to curb teenagers from smoking. Yeah thats not a good thing saving young people's lives. Sorry my mistake.

with 18-21 you are grown up.

Maybe they should allow entry to McDonalds only after 21 because protecting teenagers from getting fat.

Allowing riding bicycle only after 21 to protect them from deadly accidents on the street.

Stop the military draft because war is dangerous.

Allow watching soap operas only after 21 to protect their mental health

[Sviss Geez]

They should put there intention on all the pesticides that are forbidden in most country's of the world , here they still use it on the "healthy" frute and veggies .

That's interesting, which pesticides are you referring to?

[h90]

They should put there intention on all the pesticides that are forbidden in most country's of the world , here they still use it on the "healthy" frute and veggies .

And the thousands of additives in cigarettes which are more harmful than the tobacco. For some strange reason no one want to speak about that.

[2fishin2]

Holier than thou Nazis. Sure smoking is bad for your health, but overly restrictive laws aren't that good for your well being either.

Whats "overly restrictive" about the laws?

Oh probably that they want to curb teenagers from smoking. Yeah thats not a good thing saving young people's lives. Sorry my mistake.

with 18-21 you are grown up.

Maybe they should allow entry to McDonalds only after 21 because protecting teenagers from getting fat.

Allowing riding bicycle only after 21 to protect them from deadly accidents on the street.

Stop the military draft because war is dangerous.

Allow watching soap operas only after 21 to protect their mental health

Gotta beg to differ with ya. How many mature 18 yos have you met? Zero is the right answer. If the world was a no smoking area id be all too happy. I hate selfish smokers who think they should have to right to pollute the air we all share. Take your happy a.ss to Mars and kill yourselves

[BudRight]

I'm pretty sure the loophole in the current law is that no-one gives a damn about it because it was written to provide pretext for extortion.

[pennine]

I'm amazed that people still smoke in restaurants.

[Jingthing]

Hopefully the Thai government will also start to get more active in obesity prevention industry regulation as some other progressive governments have, such as Mexico.

As far as health impact, it can be argued sugary drinks are as much as or more of a health hazard as ciggies.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Jingthing

[Bluespunk]

I don't believe 5 million smokers stopped smoking and, in fact I don't believe any figure quoted by any Thai agency as, all, without exception have been proven grossly, not just a little bit but, GROSSLY incorrect

Doctors. researchers, every where told us for 30 - 40 years how harmful alcohol was and now encourage people to have 1 or 2 drinks daily. Same with bacon & eggs, salt/sugar/caffeine/milk and hundreds of other things that have taste ! Of course we are encouraged to load up on unidentifiable veggies, expensive tree bark items and anything that has any TASTE at all & better if they also look & smell bad.

As soon as Doctors parking lots seem empty, they find something else to ban or bitch about & yet, somehow, most of our ancestors never saw an MD and lived, fat /smoking/eating tasty/greasy foods and all, to be 100 ! My mother passed on with 1/2 a Polish sausage on her lips !

" Doctors. researchers, every where told us for 30 - 40 years how harmful alcohol was and now encourage people to have 1 or 2 drinks daily. "

Do they?

What sort of drinks and in what quantities?

[Badboldie]

Why do so many people get bent out of shape, when it come to legislation of fags, especially when it is implemented for the benefit of young people.

Generally I find people honest and thoughtful, but this all changes when any legislation or restriction are put on how, when or where they can smoke. It amazes me how some people hate regulation and controls, but they readily let the white stick control their lives every second of the day from when they get up!

[tom21]

I'm amazed that people still smoke in restaurants.

that's because they dick heads and the owner is scared to loose business.