BANGKOK – The Ministry of Education and the National Alliance for Tobacco Free Thailand (NATFT) have launched an anti-smoking campaign aimed at children and young adults between the ages of 7 and 20.
The campaign was inaugurated by Deputy Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin along with NATFT President Somsri Pausawasdi and related agencies. It was prompted by the increasing number of new smokers in its target demographic of ages 7-20. The campaign plans on utilizing social media in order to reach youngsters and better their understanding of smoking, while discouraging the habit.
Meanwhile, the campaign will push for a new minimum age requirement for purchasing cigarettes and a ban on selling cigarettes in smaller packages.
Surveys conducted in 2015 revealed there are 11 million smokers in Thailand, 350,000 of which are under the age of 18. Roughly 80% of smokers surveyed began smoking before the age of 24.
