The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has launched a major operation targeting electronic cigarette vendors in three key areas of the city
This crackdown, which seized more than ten thousand items valued at over a million baht, was conducted on Thursday night by officials from BMA and the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) along with Ms. Puangpet Chunla-iad, Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The operation targeted e-cigarette vendors in the Khlong Thom Market, Nuan Chan, and Senanikom neighborhoods. This came after it was discovered that vendors were illegally selling e-cigarettes, with undercover agents luring sellers both in stores and stalls.
Upon inspection, authorities found a large quantity of e-cigarettes and e-liquids from various countries, totaling over ten thousand items with a value exceeding a million baht. Additionally, they discovered sales records indicating daily revenues of nearly one hundred thousand baht for some vendors.
Ms. Puangpet said that the operation was prompted by complaints from the public regarding minors using e-cigarettes both inside and outside of schools. Moreover, numerous stores were found openly selling e-cigarettes to adolescents, both in physical stores and online.
Dr. Chayanan Sitthibutr, head of the Tobacco Product Control Division at the Department of Disease Control, expressed concern over the alarming trend of third-grade students in Sakhon Nakhon province using e-cigarettes. These products are easily accessible, both in physical stores and online, with prices as low as a hundred baht.
Furthermore, there has been a concerning trend of developing cartoon-shaped products to attract the interest of schoolchildren, leading to a progressively younger age group wanting to use these products, which is deeply concerning.
People are urged to report illegal electronic cigarette sales through various channels. These include the OCPB hotline 1166, the website “ocpb.go.th”, the OCPB Connect application, the Damrongtham centers in every province, and the Traffy Fondue by the BMA. (TNA)
