Thailand Likely to Miss Smoking Reduction Goal

Thailand will likely miss its target of reducing smoking by 30 percent by 2025 on current trends, reports Thaiger.

Smoking prevalence among people aged 15 and over declined from 23 percent in 2005 to 21 percent in 2024. Men continue to smoke at significantly higher rates (39.8 percent) than women (3.5 percent).

Health advocates are most concerned about underage smoking, particularly among boys aged 10–14, where the smoking rate is 11.3 percent. Overall, 7 percent of Thai youth are identified as smokers. Although the smoking prevalence has dropped substantially from 32 percent in 1991 to around 20 percent in 2009, it has since stabilized at between 19 percent and 20 percent.

Activists insist that meeting the 2025 goal will require continued focus on public health initiatives and smoking cessation programs.