Thailand’s government is being urged not to legalize e-cigarettes, citing the example of the Philippines, where it has led to increased smoking, a rise in the illegal tobacco trade, and reduced tax revenues. Despite being banned in 2014, e-cigarettes are abundantly available in the country, and the government is presumably missing out on significant tax revenues.
Numerous organizations banded together at a parliament committee meeting hoping to make this a national agenda item, pointing to the drastic rise in youth use as a catalyst, saying there has been a tenfold increase in young vapers in just one year. Citing a 2022 e-cigarette report, Senate committee chair Varapas Phaiphannarat said the number of e-cigarette users aged 15 to 24 increased from 24,050 to 269,533. She also said 43% of primary school students aged nine to 12 had already tried e-cigarettes,
“These figures indicate a serious public health crisis that threatens the well-being and future of Thai youth,” Varapas said.
