Bangkok – A recent tobacco consumption study by the Ministry of Public Health, shows that the number of smokers in Thailand has decreased to 10.7 million, while around 100,000 deaths per year are attributed to coronary heart disease and stroke.
Deputy Permanent-Secretary for Public Health, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong chaired the recent 17th national conference on cigarette smoking. The conference attributed the decrease in the number of smokers to campaigns from 1991-2017 to limit the number of new smokers from the age group 15 – 24, as well as efforts to encourage existing smokers to quit.
The conference also revealed that among the 100,000 deaths per year due to coronary heart disease and stroke, one in five cases was due to cigarette smoking. Nicotine and other toxins found in cigarettes cause a narrowing of the arteries that can lead to heart disease and paralysis.
