Amid ongoing efforts to prevent access to and discourage the use of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, and tobacco in Thailand, the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation has raised concerns over the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes among girls.
Around 200 volunteers from 20 provinces in the northeast have voiced their support for the “Northeasterners Against E-cigarettes” campaign, which aims to keep young people away from tobacco and e-cigarettes. The Northeast of Thailand has the second-highest rate of smokers in the country, after the South.
According to 2021 statistics, some 9.9 million – or 17.4% – of Thais aged 15 and over smoke. Illegal e-cigarette use in particular has been on the rise, with nearly 80,000 Thai users currently. More than half of them use e-cigarettes on a daily basis.
Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit, President of the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation Thailand, expressed concern over the increasing number of girls using e-cigarettes due to their pleasant odor, affordability and the misguided belief that they do not contain drugs.
Dr Prakit recommended raising awareness about the harm of e-cigarettes alongside law enforcement and suppression measures. He also proposed incorporating e-cigarettes into drug education curricula in schools in order to raise awareness among students. (NNT)
