Minister plays blame game over delayed Thai tobacco bill

[webfact]

Minister plays blame game over delayed tobacco bill
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- PUBLIC HEALTH MINISTER Rajata Rajatanavin yesterday blamed the Finance and Agriculture ministries for delaying the process to activate a new, stricter law aimed at controlling the consumption of tobacco and cigarettes in Thailand.

The minister said the ministries have until next week to come up with their stance on the much-awaited bill or it would be forwarded to the Cabinet for approval and implemented in four to six months.

Rajata said the new law would not affect Thai tobacco growers or violate international trade laws, adding that the bill can be debated either when it is with the Council of State or being scrutinised by the National Legislative Assembly.

Somsri Paosawas, chairperson of the National Alliance for Tobacco-Free Thailand, said the existing 20-year-old law on controlling tobacco consumption had loopholes that were being exploited by tobacco companies to promote smoking among younger people and women.

She said 40 per cent of the male population and as many as 2 million juvenile Thais smoke.

Some Bt50 billion is spent every year on the treatment of cancer and other diseases stemming from smoking, she said.

The new bill will strictly forbid the sale of cigarettes to people below 20, encourage smaller cigarette packs, will ban advertising or marketing of tobacco via electronic or social media and prohibit tobacco companies from participating in corporate social responsibility activities.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Minister-plays-blame-game-over-delayed-tobacco-bil-30253444.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-05

[Rumble]

With all due respect, the problem is of course that too many departments are involved with basic decisions, which actually shows the inadequacy of many departments to act on their own by finding loopholes to pass on the buck. which is a sure sign of weakness in any department.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Rumble

[PepperMe]

Somsri Paosawas, chairperson of the National Alliance for Tobacco-Free Thailand,

Yeah sure..... You will be the only country on earth that is in line with the ISIS caliphate.

[Stradavarius37]

Minister Rajata was the worst president that Mahidol U has has in the past 2 decades. We are starting to pick up the pieces of his failed term, and were so happy to see him booted out when he took his Public Health Minister job - now he's someone else's problem (all of you lol ).

[jaltsc]

"...delaying the process to activate a new, stricter law aimed at controlling the consumption of tobacco and cigarettes in Thailand."

How about just enforcing the existing laws? DUH!!! Hand out summonses and collect fines on the spot for the 2000 THB stated on the "No Smoking" signs, That would be more of a deterrent than offering them ashtrays or creating more unenforced statutes. More of the same BS. They only know how to promise, posture and make excuses instead of following through on supposed commitments.

"Some Bt50 billion is spent every year on the treatment of cancer and other diseases stemming from smoking, she said."

If you had enough money to buy the product that gave you the disease, then you need to pay for your treatment out of pocket, or have the tobacco companies set up hospitals to treat the diseases they were directly responsible in causing. Why burden the responsible citizens, using their tax money for something they did not cause?

Edited February 5, 2015 by jaltsc

[maidee]

it is just about the amount the tabacco maffia wants to cough up to make it disappear or delay

[Thai at Heart]

"...delaying the process to activate a new, stricter law aimed at controlling the consumption of tobacco and cigarettes in Thailand."

How about just enforcing the existing laws? DUH!!! Hand out summonses and collect fines on the spot for the 2000 THB stated on the "No Smoking" signs, That would be more of a deterrent than offering them ashtrays or creating more unenforced statutes. More of the same BS. They only know how to promise, posture and make excuses instead of following through on supposed commitments.

"Some Bt50 billion is spent every year on the treatment of cancer and other diseases stemming from smoking, she said."

If you had enough money to buy the product that gave you the disease, then you need to pay for your treatment out of pocket, or have the tobacco companies set up hospitals to treat the diseases they were directly responsible in causing. Why burden the responsible citizens, using their tax money for something they did not cause?

If those numbers are to be believed them TTM is doing damage to the state of 50bn per year.

A rather odd legal tautology.taxes more than fund the hospital bill

Edited February 5, 2015 by Thai at Heart