More smokers

The number of new smokers in Thailand is rising, despite the country’s decades-long effort to curb smoking rates, reports The Bangkok Post.

“Subsequent measures to increase the tax on cigarette purchases and scare prospective smokers by using graphic images of medical conditions caused by smoking have earned Thailand an applause from the World Health Organization (WHO),” said Daniel Kertesz, WHO’s representative to Thailand.

“Forty-nine percent of the 72,656 patients who suffered from smoking-related lung diseases died prematurely in 2017,” said Roengruedi Pathanwanit, a lecturer for Ramathibodi Hospital’s Faculty of Medicine. “Smoking-related problems cause more than 220 billion baht in economic losses each year — three times the amount received from taxes on tobacco products, which stands at about 68 billion baht.”

Thailand’s first efforts to curb smoking began 31 years ago, when the then-premier Prem Tinsulanonda instructed the Public Health Ministry to draft a plan on tobacco control.