Thailand marks World No Tobacco Day, focuses on youth vaping dangers
As the world observes World No Tobacco Day today, the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking and vaping, including the health risks associated with smoking and the harmful effects of secondhand smoke on non-smokers.
In Thailand, the Non-Smoking Campaign Foundation and the Tobacco Consumption Control Network are paying particular attention to the issue of vaping, which they consider a significant and growing concern for young people. Consequently, the campaign slogan for World No Tobacco Day 2023 in Thailand is “E-cigarettes are toxic, addictive, dangerous.”
Thai medical professionals are increasingly concerned about the growing number of pneumonia and bronchitis cases linked to vaping and e-cigarettes, especially among cannabis oil users. However, poor diagnosis and reporting are problems due to doctors’ limited awareness.
Assoc. Prof. Sutat Rungruanghiranya, Secretary-General of the Medical Professionals Network for Tobacco Consumption Control and Head of Internal Medicine at Srinakarinwirot University, mentioned that under-reporting of cases might be due to doctors not adequately inquiring about patients’ e-cigarettes, vaping or cannabis oil use.
While there are no conclusive numbers on e-cigarette use in Thailand, heavy users face significant challenges quitting. The long-term effects of e-cigarettes are still unclear. However, initial data indicate that extended use may cause lung and bladder cancer in rodents. The effects on humans are expected to become clearer within the next 10 to 20 years.
Thailand is known for having some of the strictest anti-vaping laws globally. Despite that, numerous activists and groups have been campaigning for the legalisation of vaping, arguing that it is a safer alternative to cigarettes and can help many individuals quit smoking.
In a related development, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt announced yesterday, May 30, that he views every day as a no-smoking day and plans to focus on enforcing smoking laws throughout the capital. Despite the existence of numerous smoking-related laws in Thailand, their enforcement is often lax, leading to frequent complaints from non-smokers about people smoking in public areas, bars, restaurants, and other establishments.
