Bangkok – The Alcohol Control Committee Board has approved, in principle, a draft ban on alcohol vending machines. The ban was put forward by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The committee, chaired by Assistant to the Public Health Minister Thawat Sunthrajarn, suggested some amendments to the proposed ban to facilitate its enforcement. The draft ban will be shelved until another meeting in March next year.
The committee also endorsed a draft plan for alcoholics suffering from withdrawal. The plan consists of initial consultancy, health restoration, community progressive healthcare and volunteer support.
A survey has estimated that there are over 900,000 teen alcoholics nationwide. Only 160,000 or 6% of them are taking steps to address withdrawal, indicating that alcohol abuse is a matter of national concern.
