New law raises minimum age of smokers to 20 in bid to discourage youths

[rooster59]

New law raises minimum age of smokers to 20 in bid to discourage youths

By PRAPASRI OSATHANON
THE NATION

 

 

IN A MOVE to discourage youths from smoking, the National Legislative Assembly yesterday raised the minimum age for young people to buy cigarettes to 20 years old from the current 18 years old.

 

Under the new Tobacco Control bill, anyone who sells cigarettes to under-age teenagers could be jailed for three months or fined up to Bt30,000 or both.

 

The new law also stipulates that people who sell cigarettes must be at least 18 years old and each cigarette pack must contain 20 cigarettes, prohibiting the sale of individual cigarettes. 

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30307907

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-03-04

[wxpwzrd]

Another law that no one will follow?

[jaltsc]

“Under the new Tobacco Control bill, anyone who sells cigarettes to under-age teenagers could be jailed for three months or fined up to Bt30,000 or both.”

 

That new law will be enforced, and fines collected at a rate of 100 times more than the 2,000 baht No Smoking law. For those who have been "educated" in the Thai system...100 x 0 is Zero.

[trogers]

Those ma and pa stores are shaking...

[PatOngo]

Knowing the discipline they adhere to, I'm sure this will go...............nowhere!

[ezzra]

 

Thailand has like a million laws that most are not enforced and the rest are

ignored by everyone, including the people who suppose to enforce them,

so go on, add one more, what's one more law? as if they aren't going

to ask a gown up to buy them instead....

[ChrisY1]

Unfortunately for this country, the authorities just don't understand almost anything...!

[maoro2013]

Good luck with that.

[Jip99]

Education beats prohibition any day...... especially prohibition without enforcement.

[optad]

Ban cigarette advertising

[4evermaat]

.....
 
Under the new Tobacco Control bill, anyone who sells cigarettes to under-age teenagers could be jailed for three months or fined up to Bt30,000 or both.
 
The new law also stipulates that people who sell cigarettes must be at least 18 years old and each cigarette pack must contain 20 cigarettes, prohibiting the sale of individual cigarettes. 
  .....

Another law that no one will follow?

I actually know someone with a minimart that does just this (sells individual cigarettes at a profit) Amazing Thailand.

[khunano]

"The new law also stipulates that people who sell cigarettes must be at least 18 years old"

 

however they are only allowed to BUY them if they are at least 20 years old. Go figure....

[helloagain]

1 hour ago, wxpwzrd said:

Another law that no one will follow?

Im afraid you are right. Its mostly the poor that smoke. In se sa ket i saw a bag of tabaco waist high for 800 baht. Thank god i never started

[prakhonchai nick]

26 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

Education beats prohibition any day...... especially prohibition without enforcement.

Agree entirely, BUT education must commence BEFORE smoking/drinking or driving start. Once started, education is impossible, and enforcement--meaningful enforcement- is the only way. Hit the people hard in their pockets!

[prakhonchai nick]

8 minutes ago, khunano said:

"The new law also stipulates that people who sell cigarettes must be at least 18 years old"

 

however they are only allowed to BUY them if they are at least 20 years old. Go figure....

Same with alcohol. Bar girls must be 18 to work, but cannot drink with customers until they are 20. Can be barfined though at 18!

[NormanW]

Great stuff. 

 

Now enforce it!

[Wilsonandson]

Many countries around the globe are following America in its anti smoking laws. I don't really understand why?
Let people do what they want. If you want to increase your chances of dieing quicker then its up-to-you.

Leave people alone to make up their own life choices. All these laws and rules that we all need to abide by. You can't do squat. Relax the laws and let people have a little freedom. There's too much control of the masses.

It's like living in a world controlled by whinging do-gooders with their perfect little family and who never fart in public. Yuppies I think they call them.

[Jip99]

17 minutes ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Agree entirely, BUT education must commence BEFORE smoking/drinking or driving start. Once started, education is impossible, and enforcement--meaningful enforcement- is the only way. Hit the people hard in their pockets!

 

Education is never impossible...... it works in the west.

 

 

Education may be too late for many current smokers but at least educate the next generations.

[NormanW]

9 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

Education is never impossible...... it works in the west.

 

 

Education may be too late for many current smokers but at least educate the next generations.

Agreed. Like any addiction extremely difficult to kick it into touch.

[chainarong]

May as well raise the age to eighty for all the good it will do....................................

[mark01]

B.S.

Just another law that will be used selectively to intimidate and extort money.

If they really wanted to cut smoking they should follow the UK and other country's examples and allow e-cigarettes.

But we all know money (tax) is the driving force behind all Thai agendas.

[IamNoone88]

Quite a useless piece of new legislation when the general population ignores the legal system and the people responsible for enforcing the law also ignores them. Good luck with that.

[Essaybloke]

53 minutes ago, Wilsonandson said:

Many countries around the globe are following America in its anti smoking laws. I don't really understand why?
Let people do what they want. If you want to increase your chances of dieing quicker then its up-to-you.

Leave people alone to make up their own life choices. All these laws and rules that we all need to abide by. You can't do squat. Relax the laws and let people have a little freedom. There's too much control of the masses.

It's like living in a world controlled by whinging do-gooders with their perfect little family and who never fart in public. Yuppies I think they call them.

You don't understand why? OK, allow me to enlighten you.

Because sometimes people need a nudge to help themselves.

Because it's not a 'personal freedom' issue as we live socially and therefore have shared social responsibilities.

Because in a public space our right to breathe air trumps the smoker's right to pollute it with stinking carcinogens.

Because our ambulance and hospital services are burdened with older people who all their lives have smoked and now present with heart attacks, emphysema and various cancers.

Because 'normalizing' smoking by leaving it unchallenged sends all the wrong signals to children.

Because one duty of governments is to protect its citizens from harm and smoking is extremely harmful not only for the smoker, but those around him/her.

Do we need more?

Now you know and you can begin to 'understand why'!

[masuk]

2 hours ago, wxpwzrd said:

Another law that no one will follow?

Exactly.   they still have these things on open display, whereas countries which are serious about curbing the cancer restrict their display;   they also charge a price which will cover the hospital admissions in a few years. 

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, wxpwzrd said:

Another law that no one will follow?

What you mean is another law that won't be enforced.

[12DrinkMore]

15 minutes ago, mark01 said:

B.S.

Just another law that will be used selectively to intimidate and extort money.

If they really wanted to cut smoking they should follow the UK and other country's examples and allow e-cigarettes.

But we all know money (tax) is the driving force behind all Thai agendas.

 

The tax agenda is not specifically Thai. They are all at it.

 

I reckon the main reason why smoking dropped off in the UK was because the taxes became unaffordable. A two pack a day hobby costs around 4,000 Quid per year. Personally I know a lot of "holiday" smokers who only smoke in Thailand.

 

 

[Essaybloke]

20 minutes ago, mark01 said:

B.S.

Just another law that will be used selectively to intimidate and extort money.

If they really wanted to cut smoking they should follow the UK and other country's examples and allow e-cigarettes.

But we all know money (tax) is the driving force behind all Thai agendas.

I think the answer is a combination of education of kids (especially), BIG hikes in the price of smokes, a total ban on smoking in public venues (including motor vehicles with children inside) and a ban on advertising and limits to corporate sponsorship.

 

I have been around long enough to see the enormous cultural shift in Australia from the mid 70's when governments really put the foot down to the present day where smoking is something of a social anomaly.

[12DrinkMore]

1 hour ago, 4evermaat said:

I actually know someone with a minimart that does just this (sells individual cigarettes at a profit) Amazing Thailand.

 

I reckon every mom and pop shop does this, and the profit is high.

 

When I was in the UK about 3,000,000 years ago, the ice-cream sellers in the vans sold single ciggies to the schoolkids.

[elgordo38]

2 hours ago, trogers said:

Those ma and pa stores are shaking...

Yes the laws there will remain the same individual sales. 

[Wilsonandson]

You don't understand why? OK, allow me to enlighten you.
Because sometimes people need a nudge to help themselves.
Because it's not a 'personal freedom' issue as we live socially and therefore have shared social responsibilities.
Because in a public space our right to breathe air trumps the smoker's right to pollute it with stinking carcinogens.
Because our ambulance and hospital services are burdened with older people who all their lives have smoked and now present with heart attacks, emphysema and various cancers.
Because 'normalizing' smoking by leaving it unchallenged sends all the wrong signals to children.
Because one duty of governments is to protect its citizens from harm and smoking is extremely harmful not only for the smoker, but those around him/her.
Do we need more?
Now you know and you can begin to 'understand why'!

Nope!
Freedom to smoke.