‘Stop smoking’ plea as habit kills 50,000 Thais every year

[snoop1130]

‘Stop smoking’ plea as habit kills 50,000 Thais every year

By The Nation

 

 

Smoking kills more than 50,000 people in Thailand each year, about a third of them before the age of 60, it was revealed on Maonday as health experts and anti-smoking campaigners urged people to give up the expensive habit.

 

“These deaths mean the loss of breadwinners for so many families too,” Action on Smoking and Health Foundation Thailand secretary-general Prof Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit said at an event marking World No Tobacco Day, which falls tomorrow. 

 

The theme of this year’s special day is “Tobacco – a threat to development”.

 

Prakit, Disease Control Department director-general Jedsada Chokdamrongsuk, World Health Organisation representative to Thailand Dr Daniel Kertesz and several other anti-smoking campaigners joined forces at yesterday’s event to encourage people to say “no” to cigarettes. 

 

Tobacco consumption is very high in Thailand. One in five adults and one out of six youths smoke, amounting to almost 11 million smokers. 

 

“Smoking is a threat to health and efforts to combat poverty,” Prakit said.

 

Tobacco is a key risk factor for many diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and tuberculosis – illnesses that put a financial strain on families and drain the government’s budget for universal health coverage.

 

According to 2014 figures, about 3.1 million Thais earned no more than Bt6,000 a month but spent more than Bt7.6billion a year on cigarettes. 

 

Prakit lamented that with hard-earned income being spent on cigarettes, families’ nutrition and children’s education were being adversely affected. 

 

On a positive note, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has commended Thailand’s recently passed Tobacco Products Control Act, which imposes stricter control on the sale of cigarettes.

 

For example, it is now illegal for shops to sell cigarettes in quantities less than a full packet. A complete ban on the sale of tobacco has now been implemented at pharmacies, medical and educational institutions, amusement parks and zoos.

 

“By taking robust tobacco control measures, governments can safeguard their countries’ futures by protecting people’s health, generating revenues to fund health and other social services, and saving their environments from the ravages tobacco causes,” Kertesz said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30316641

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-5-29

[kannot]

stop driving and smoking then as the risks there must be unbelievable

[Emmess]

Did mange to stop smoking for 2 years, before a few police men stopped me for vaping. Harassed me, took me to the police station where they took bribe and let me go. After warning of going to the prison for 6 years.

 

[trainman34014]

A more apt motto on this years special day would read.......'Successive Governments-A Threat to Development'' !

 

Easy answer to people smoking is put the cost of a pack beyond most people's reach; add enough tax to ramp them up to 500 Baht per pack and watch what happens.

[Ralf61]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Smoking kills more than 50,000 people in Thailand each year

Maybe, but one of the most dangerous killers worldwide is overwork

Packages of tobacco products show warning slogans or even ugly pictures, in every country meanwhile

Still waiting for my tax bill showing slogans like "Overwork kills", "Overwork can cause severe heart diseases", "Overwork can destroy your family live"...

[thescot]

Vaping has been proven to be 99% safer but banned here for whatever reason the Thai government want to use except for health reasons.

TIT ....

Edited May 30, 2017 by thescot

[Salerno]

14 hours ago, Emmess said:

Did mange to stop smoking for 2 years, before a few police men stopped me for vaping. Harassed me, took me to the police station where they took bribe and let me go. After warning of going to the prison for 6 years.

 

Where did you get stopped and how much was the ... "fine"? Saw a flight video that mentioned ecigs so guessing their on a bit of a crackdown

[jaltsc]

"Thailand’s recently passed Tobacco Products Control Act, which imposes stricter control on the sale of cigarettes."

 

Right. We are going to tell ourselves to control the sale of cigarettes as we reap in the profits from our monopoly. If they want to stop the sale of tobacco, stop producing and selling the cigarettes. How hard is that for a government committed to this end? (Rhetorical Question Folks).

[jaltsc]

16 minutes ago, thescot said:

Vaping has been proven to be 99% safer but banned here for whatever reason the Thai government want to use except for health reasons.

TIT ....

If the government had the monopoly on vaporizers, the country would be flooded with them...at a very steep price.

[Smee]

Vaping - 95% to 99% less harmful than smoking, is banned in Thailand. 5 years in prison, so the choice is quit or die here... The government refuses to consider things such as facts or science in this debate... In fact, there is no debate. Millions of Thai smokers will now unecessarily die prematurely because vaping, a proven, effective smoke cessation optionll, accepted and promoted as such by governments and health practitioners in more enightened societes, is banned in Thailand.That is state sponsored murder through this cynical complacency in the eyes of some... Who will hold these vested interest goons to account one wonders? (rhetorical question)

Edited May 30, 2017 by Smee
Typos

[SiamBeast]

I have no sympathy nor pity for those who die of tobacco-related causes. You made the choice to smoke, you live with the consequences. It can't be simpler.

 

Outright banning tobacco would lead to riots by people who are not able to satisfy their filthy addiction - I think it should be done gradually.

 

For example:

2017

- Ban smoking in cars where children under 16 are present

- Introduce plain packaging

- Remove tax allowance of 200 cigarettes at airport

 

2018

- Ban smoking on all outdoors terraces

- Ban smoking in public parks

 

2019

- Enforce a 10-metre rule where people can smoke from terraces

- Double the price of a pack (tax)

- Raise the minimum age to 20

 

2020

- Double again the price of a pack

- Ban smoking when driving

 

2021

- Require all cars sold in the country to come without an ashtray

- Forbid smoking in houses where a child under 20 is present

 

2022

- Increase the price of a pack to 350 baht

- Warn the population about upcoming prohibition

 

2023

Wait...

 

2024

Wait...

 

2025

- Total prohibition of tobacco in Thailand

- Enter tobacco as schedule II substance with penalties for consumption and posession

 

 

I know the above is an utopia, but the goal is to make tobacco hard to reach. The stats have proven that smoking is a poor people habit - most "low class" people smoke, while higher status men are less likely to blow filth. Therefore, Honda and Toyota should be forced to make cars without ashtrays. By enforcing a 10-metre rule (like my home country), we'd make it a burden to smoke, i.e. most patrons would have to leave the terrace, walk far, and smoke there alone - looking stupid. Protecting children is also important - forbidding smoking in cars and houses where children are present should be a law in every country. Ultimatedly, once everyone starts to think that smoking is too expensive and too much of a burden, they'll stop. And for the hardened ones who are in love with their cigarettes more than their family, we'll simply kick in a prohibition law and arrest smokers. Of course, they would be sent to a therapy center instead of jail - unless they get caught a second time.

 

Tobacco companies are likely to be angry, bar owners are likely to not appreciate this, doctors will lose revenue, and it'll cause a lot of trouble. But if we listen to everyone's complaints at every step, we'll never move forward. So the plan is "Just do it" and watch Thais grow older and more healthy.

[Smee]

"I have no sympathy nor pity for those who die of tobacco-related causes. You made the choice to smoke, you live with the consequences. It can't be simpler."

 

Lovely, carlng attitude you have.... Except most smokers started as underage users and were mentally incaoapable of evaluating the risks and consquences until years later, by which time they were already addicted. ...  But hey, screw them anyway, right? 

Edited May 30, 2017 by Smee

[SiamBeast]

3 minutes ago, Smee said:

Loveky, carlng attitude you have.... Except most smokers started as underage users and were mentally incaoapable of evaluating the risks and consquences until years later, by which time they were already addicted. ...  But hey, screw them anyway, right? 

 

My father quit cold turkey after 30 years and never fell back into the habit. My uncle quit (with patches) after 25 years. It's totally doable. It's hard, it takes some motivation, but it's doable. And both started as underage smokers. So if they cannot stop, then yes, screw them, because it's just an excuse for being lazy.

[hawker9000]

16 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

A more apt motto on this years special day would read.......'Successive Governments-A Threat to Development'' !

 

Easy answer to people smoking is put the cost of a pack beyond most people's reach; add enough tax to ramp them up to 500 Baht per pack and watch what happens.

I'm wildly enthusiastic about making life more difficult for smokers, but think you'd be surprised how much tobacco addicts will pay to support their habit...  At some point you just drive the distribution underground, and that means crime.  There also needs to be increasingly draconian enforcement of No Smoking areas with hefty fines for violators.  Make it a question of posted areas where you CAN smoke, rather than where you can't.

[Smee]

7 minutes ago, SiamBeast said:

 

My father quit cold turkey after 30 years and never fell back into the habit. My uncle quit (with patches) after 25 years. It's totally doable. It's hard, it takes some motivation, but it's doable. And both started as underage smokers. So if they cannot stop, then yes, screw them, because it's just an excuse for being lazy.

Yup, a real compoassionate soul aren't you. Ever considered running for President?

[SiamBeast]

1 minute ago, Smee said:

Yup, a real compoassionate soul aren't you. Ever considered running for President?

 

I'm not compassionate. In order to make the world a better place and achieve what you're trying to do, you sometimes have to hurt people's feeling and not apologize about it. If you want to make everyone happy and feel good, you will keep walking on eggs and you'll never get things done.

 

There's a problem: Tobacco. It needs to be solved, so remove Tobacco, and ignore people's feelings. Within a generation, everyone would think of tobacco as a drug of the past.

[Smee]

12 minutes ago, SiamBeast said:

 

I'm not compassionate. In order to make the world a better place and achieve what you're trying to do, you sometimes have to hurt people's feeling and not apologize about it. If you want to make everyone happy and feel good, you will keep walking on eggs and you'll never get things done.

 

There's a problem: Tobacco. It needs to be solved, so remove Tobacco, and ignore people's feelings. Within a generation, everyone would think of tobacco as a drug of the past.

Yup. Definitely presidential material.

[Salerno]

15 minutes ago, SiamBeast said:

There's a problem: Tobacco. It needs to be solved, so remove Tobacco, and ignore people's feelings. Within a generation, everyone would think of tobacco as a drug of the past.

So what's your plan for alcohol?

[Smee]

12 minutes ago, Salerno said:

So what's your plan for alcohol?

And drugs? And obesity? And ignorance? And poverty? And menta illness? And homosexuality? And dissension, alternative opinions and attitudes and choices and preferences and opinions? These are all issues requiring comoassion and understanding. 

Edited May 30, 2017 by Smee

[oxo1947]

The UK is a success story now under 15% smoke---in the 70s-- it was 50% men 40% women. I think the saving for the NHS etc far outweighs the tax in....................

[SiamBeast]

Just now, Smee said:

And drugs? And obesity? And ignorance? And poverty? And mental.illness? 

 

Drugs: Problem will be solved though treatment, not prison. We've seen it with the failed war on drugs.

Obesity: Not something we can forbid, but we can tackle the problem at the source by removing (or taxing) sugary drinks.

Ignorance: We need those people to perform factory work

Poverty: See above

Mental illness: It's only a very small percentage and not much of a problem now

 

Alcohol: The comsumption of alcohol of someone else does not affect you directly, while smoking will send your filthy smoke for everyone to breathe. There are a few people who get drunk and cause accidents but this is a small percentage. That's highly debatable though.

[oxo1947]

9 minutes ago, Smee said:

17 minutes ago, Salerno said:

So what's your plan for alcohol?

And drugs? And obesity? And ignorance? And poverty? And mental.illness? 

Surly your not putting -mental illness-Poverty -- bad (or no) education on the same level as smoking.  These 3 things are not usually a life style choice.

[CGW]

1 hour ago, SiamBeast said:

Tobacco companies are likely to be angry, bar owners are likely to not appreciate this, doctors will lose revenue, and it'll cause a lot of trouble. But if we listen to everyone's complaints at every step, we'll never move forward. So the plan is "Just do it" and watch Thais grow older and more healthy.

You missed one! the biggest losers would be the government, they make huge amounts in taxes. Even in so called mega-rich China the government was reluctant until very recently to do anything about smoking as 10% of their revenue came from the taxes imposed on smokers!

Edited May 30, 2017 by CGW

[Mickmouse1]

How about Alcohol? No death related cases in the country? 

Anyway there is a need for population adjustment ?

[Mickmouse1]

There us a complete ban on cigarettes in Brunei but not Alcohol!!?????

[Jonmarleesco]

I'm less concerned with the health issues of the smokers, who are in control of their own destiny, than I am with that of the non-smokers compelled to breathe the smokers' second-hand fumes. Just as well we can now enjoy a drink and a meal without the stench of unwanted smoke.

[masuk]

It is also the biggest killer in Indonesia, and the main reason for the average age of death of males being 51.

Kids often start smoking before they have started school.  Like father......

[dcnx]

4 hours ago, Smee said:

Vaping - 95% to 99% less harmful than smoking, is banned in Thailand. 5 years in prison, so the choice is quit or die here... The government refuses to consider things such as facts or science in this debate... In fact, there is no debate. Millions of Thai smokers will now unecessarily die prematurely because vaping, a proven, effective smoke cessation optionll, accepted and promoted as such by governments and health practitioners in more enightened societes, is banned in Thailand.That is state sponsored murder through this cynical complacency in the eyes of some... Who will hold these vested interest goons to account one wonders? (rhetorical question)

I have been noticing a lot of Thai vapers in Chiang Mai. All younger guys vaping out in the open. No one is hassling them yet.

[dcnx]

3 hours ago, Smee said:

"I have no sympathy nor pity for those who die of tobacco-related causes. You made the choice to smoke, you live with the consequences. It can't be simpler."

 

Lovely, carlng attitude you have.... Except most smokers started as underage users and were mentally incaoapable of evaluating the risks and consquences until years later, by which time they were already addicted. ...  But hey, screw them anyway, right? 

I was addicted to heroin for years when I was younger. No idea how I survived, most of my "friends" died. Quit cold turkey after my best friend died in front of me.

 

It was painful and very hard, I wanted to quit so I did. Went back to school, turned my life around, started going to the gym, and severed tied with anyone who tempted me.

 

No excuses. If you want to quit, you can quit. It won't be easy, but people quit their addictions all the time. 

[Golden Triangle]

I have smoked for the best part of my 60+ years on this planet ( my 1st ciggie was at aged 8 or thereabouts) I have stopped smoking on numerous occasions but unfortunately slipped back into bad habits, I stopped 3 months ago, using patches & one piece of gum  My first day without any form of support was 28th Feb, I don't really miss, I rarely think about, I was in a bar yesterday with people all around me smoking and having a good time, I currently have all my doors and windows open and my neighbour is out the front of his place having a smoke, I can smell it, but I choose to ignore it.

 

So to all you nasty, venomous, crusading non smokers I say go <deleted> yourselves and let people live their lives how they want to without having you jerks on their backs.