Thailand considers offering free e-cigarettes

Time： 2023-04-23

Thailand's End Cigarette Smoke Thailand (ECST) Group praised the UK's efforts to provide free vaping kits and its focus on preventing underage exposur...

Thailand's End Cigarette Smoke Thailand (ECST) Group praised the UK's efforts to provide free vaping kits and its focus on preventing underage exposure to vaping. The positive response follows England's recent announcement of £45 million to distribute vaping kits to reduce smoking rates.

The campaign also includes a £3 million budget earmarked for monitoring and cracking down on the sale of e-cigarettes to underage buyers.

Meanwhile, the sale and use of e-cigarettes remains illegal in Thailand, leading to an unregulated black market and increased use by minors. Therefore, the ECST panel hopes that the Thai government will reconsider and possibly legalize vaping in the 2023 elections.

ECST representative Asa Saligupta and the Facebook page 'What are e-cigarettes?' with over 100,000 followers share their thoughts on how UK regulations could benefit Thailand…

"E-cigarettes are legal in England, allowing its government to take steps and effectively enforce regulations protecting minors. The UK government will allocate £45 million to reduce smoking rates in the country and another £3 million to crack down on 18-year-olds. Shops that sell e-cigarettes to teenagers under the age of 10.”

The UK's "Swap to Stop" project aims to distribute free e-cigarette kits to more than 1 million smokers, encouraging them to quit traditional cigarettes and switch to less harmful alternatives. The move forms part of the UK government's wider commitment to bring smoking down in England to below 5% by 2030. To tie in with the campaign, a dedicated "Illegal Vaping Enforcement Team" will crack down on illegal vaping sales, with the group empowered to shut down stores found to be breaking the law. As Asa explains, the UK approach stands in stark contrast to Thailand’s current situation…

“Thailand’s ban claims to protect minors, but the sale and use of e-cigarettes is open and commonplace. Children can easily obtain e-cigarettes through online channels without any regulation or inspection.”

Another representative of the ECST group, Maris Karanyawat, suggested that following the UK’s example could be the solution to Thailand’s current vaping policy problems…“A subcommittee that studies factors affecting the health system and monitors the enforcement of public health laws has released a report, The report is based on comprehensive research and opinions of all groups involved in the vaping issue. It recommends that Thailand should lift the ban on vaping so that it can be properly controlled through the Tobacco Products Control Act 2017."

Many supporters of legalizing vaping want Thailand's new government to take a more consistent approach in elections after 2023, in line with international practice and emerging scientific evidence. In theory, this would help reduce the negative impact on smokers and protect minors from vaping products.

In preparation for the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Panama in November, Maris said, “We hope that the Thai representative will consider the report of the Public Health approach to harm, this evidence suggests that e-cigarettes should be controlled differently than combustible cigarettes because they have different harmful effects."

The overall goal is to reduce the exposure of Thailand's 9.9 million smokers to toxic chemicals and promote healthier alternatives.

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