Bid to promote alcohol-free New Year's celebrations

BANGKOK: -- The annual loss of life on Thailand's roads at the New Year and other holidays has led the Education Ministry to join hands with two other agencies in persuading people to refrain from consuming alcohol during the upcoming New Year's celebrations.

Charuaypon Torranin, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education, said her office is cooperating with the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and the Stop Drink Network (STN) in urging people to stay away from alcoholic drinks during the New Year's festival.

Under a program called "New Year without Alcohol", people should celebrate the New Year's holiday with sufficient happiness and to offer gifts or hold parties which do not have alcoholic drinks, she said. The program is also aimed at honoring His Majesty the King who celebrates his 80th birthday on December 5 next year.

Results of a survey showed that three out of four respondents -- 74.8 per cent -- said they wanted to offer gifts containing hygienic food while 57.9 per cent believed there was little hygienic food at department stores and 73.9 per cent said baskets containing liquor and caffeine were plentiful in the market, Mrs. Charuaypon said.

Meanwhile, Theera Watcharapranee, manager of the Stop Drink Network, said the Thais are quite heavy drinkers and now ranked among the heaviest consumers of alcohol worldwide.

Alcoholic drinks have impacted the economy to about Bt500 billion annually, excluding losses of family warmth and the future well-being of youngsters.

--TNA 2006-12-17

Alcohol-free New Year's celebrations are a great idea indeed. But I thing the free alcohol events will be better attended!

How about the police get out and actually enforce the drink-driving laws?

Alcohol-free New Year's celebrations are a great idea indeed. But I thing the free alcohol events will be better attended!

How will we know where to go and what to buy now that alcohol advertising has been made illegal!!!!

New Year and Songkraan are two times of the year that I'm happy to be away from here.

I think this one will take a really BIG promotion to get it off the ground.

Can't quite see it myself, however, the Dan Sai kid's suggestion is one that really should be implemented

Thai's celebrate three new years (farang, Chinese and Thai - Songkran). I would like to see them try this during Songkran.

Thai's celebrate three new years (farang, Chinese and Thai - Songkran). I would like to see them try this during Songkran.

They "celebrate" just about everything here, don't they? Any excuse to avoid working...

Don't drink and drive, is common sense.

Enjoy the booze at home, or within walking distance.

No need to go to extremes of saying No Alcohol.