On August 29 at the Medical Association of Thailand under royal patronage The Center for Research and Knowledge Management for Tobacco Control (TCDC) in collaboration with the Office of Health Promotion Fund (ThaiHealth) and the Tobacco Control Network Partners Organized the 20th National Conference on Smoking and Health on “Electronic Cigarettes, Hidden Dangers in Society”
Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Health (MoPH) said e-cigarettes are not new The whole world knows that E-cigarettes are not safe and causing new smokers to emerge The National Statistical Office in 2021 surveyed 80,000 Thai people aged 15 years and over who smoked e-cigarettes, of which more than half were youth aged 15-24 years. E-cigarettes make young people who never thought of smoking. Starting to want to try smoking faster. This makes it more likely to be affected by cigarette smoke as well. E-cigarettes have a wide impact. both economically, socially and environmentally Especially affecting the growing brain of children and young people. which is considered the future of the nation It is a very valuable resource that we all need to take care of. promote learning and developed greatly to keep up with the development of Thailand in all dimensions
“Thailand’s position is Does not support e-cigarettes At present, there are no other measures and experiences of countries that are effective in preventing youth from accessing e-cigarettes. and can experiment with e-cigarettes Therefore, it should be protected at the source. The ban on the import and sale of e-cigarettes and to implement the Convention on the Convention on the Management of Illegal Trade in Tobacco Products. and strictly enforce the law.” Deputy Prime Minister said
Asst. Prof. Dr. Wit Kasemsup, MD, Director of the Center for Research and Knowledge Management for Tobacco Control (TCDC) According to a collection of foreign research from 2014 to 2021, there are 6,971 pieces of e-cigarette-related complications, including respiratory tract (49%), cardiovascular system (13%), oral and dental (18%), brain (7%), liver (2.9%) and skin. 2.9% and other systems 19% The World Health Organization concluded that e-cigarettes are harmful to all systems of the body. Nicotine is the most addictive and works by constricting blood vessels. resulting in blood supply to different parts less of the body And there are other toxic substances. increased risk of ischemic stroke or rupture Consistent with the American Heart Association, e-cigarettes increase the risk of myocardial infarction 1.8 times, causing pneumonia. The risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was increased by 49%, asthma by 39%, both first-hand and second-hand e-cigarettes affected the brain development of the fetus. causing nervous system disorders ADHD low birth weight In particular, the developing brains of children and youth up to 25 years of age resulted in a three to four times decrease in brain performance than non-smokers.
“E-cigarettes don’t help you quit smoking. It’s also the gateway to smoking cigarettes. And other drugs such as marijuana and alcohol are 3.29 times more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future, and people who use e-cigarettes to quit smoking will return to smoke 4.4 times. from US research Medical expenses from smoking e-cigarettes are up to more than 500 billion baht per year, higher than the income of e-cigarette tax collected only 300 million baht. Smoking e-cigarettes cause PM 2.5 dust fumes and cause environmental pollution. too.” Asst. Prof. Dr. Wich said
Prof. Dr. Prakit Vatisathakakit, President of the Campaign for No Smoking Foundation There are two forms of e-cigarette control measures around the world: 1. Prohibited and 2. Controlled by subdivided into pharmaceutical products. 3. Prohibited components 4. Control like a toxic substance. 5.Control like tobacco products 6.Control like a consumer product and 7.Control like a specific product If Thailand uses only measures 3-7, it will lead to continuous nicotine addiction. It also does not protect young people from trial and abuse. As for the second measure, the Food and Drug Administration Ministry of Health used to provide information to the Sub-Committee of Public Health House of Representatives that the electronic cigarette company It should be registered for the FDA to inspect and prove that it is a controlled product for use in smoking cessation. But until now, no manufacturer has applied for registration as a smoking cessation product with the FDA.
Prof. Dr. Somsri Phaosawat, Chairman of the National Federation of Networks for a Smoke-Free Thai Society said e-cigarettes are not a substitute for smoking cessation But it is the beginning of addiction to cigarettes or other substances in children and young people. National Confederation Network for a Smoke-Free Thai Society Together with network partners, we would like to confirm 9 reasons why Thailand must maintain measures to prohibit the importation and prohibit the sale of electronic cigarettes. 1. The goal of electronic cigarette manufacturers is juvenile 2. E-cigarettes are the source of normal smoking among children and youth. 3. E-cigarettes are dangerous, damaging to health. 4. Nicotine makes them addictive, more dangerous than expected. 5. E-cigarettes do not really help you quit smoking. 6. E-cigarettes are more harmful to society than good. 7. E-cigarettes will make Thailand step back on tobacco control. 8. The ban on the sale of e-cigarettes is important measures to protect children from victimization; and 9. Should adhere to policies “Safety first” because Thai people’s lives are too valuable to take risks. Thailand is the 12th country in the world that has banned the sale of e-cigarettes since 2014, and has any country canceled the e-cigarette sales ban? Therefore, all parties are asked to help protect the law prohibiting the sale of electronic cigarettes in Thailand. To protect Thai youths from e-cigarette addiction
Dr. Surachet Sathitniramai, 2nd Vice Chairman of the Health Promotion Fund Said that the National Council for Peace and Order (NSC) focuses heavily on the impact of e-cigarettes spreading among children and young people. According to the results of the Student Health Survey in Thailand 2021 by the World Health Organization. Meet the middle school students 13.6% of e-cigarettes were used. One e-cigarette contained the same amount of nicotine as 20 cigarettes. Nicotine is a brain-destroying substance. Therefore, it is considered an important risk factor that directly affects the health of children and youth. Accelerate the support of academic information and information systems to create a correct understanding of society on Hot Issue issues such as cigarettes/e-cigarettes and the COVID-19 pandemic. cigarettes with marijuana and the cultivation of tobacco substitutes To enhance the knowledge around the health of tobacco control for people to be able to be aware of and get the right information. leading to appropriate behavioral changes
Dr. Panadda Wongpudee, spokesman for the National Tobacco Products Control Board said that as a media Ask the media of all kinds to be a voice on why Thailand has to ban e-cigarettes and report the facts about e-cigarettes to the public. There are two demands: 1. Asking all sectors to share knowledge of youth. To be aware of the dangers of electronic cigarettes and must act to protect young people from becoming victims of electronic cigarettes 2. Ask the relevant agencies to strictly enforce the law to control e-cigarettes from reaching youth. This is one of the Prime Minister’s orders for the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. and the National Police Accelerate the crackdown on e-cigarettes in all channels Currently, there are misrepresentations in online media that e-cigarettes are safe and harmless to attract a large number of e-cigarettes.
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