The latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey released on November 10, 2009 reflects that the number of tobacco smokers in Thailand today has attained the number of 14.3 million.
At the same time, the Public Health Ministry considers a proposal to the Finance Ministry to augment the tax level on hand-made cigarette products (RYO) as soon as more than 7.4 million smokers who use this kind of tobacco have been revelated.
The federal everyday survey- Global Adult Tobacco Survey- launched in February 2007 involved in the study sixteen countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russian Federation, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay and Vietnam), familiar to more than fifty percent of the world’s cigarette consumers and encountering the highest tobacco use.
The first state completed and published its survey was Thailand. It has been conducted this year as an opinion poll of 15 persons and earlier by the Ministry of Public Health, Mahidol University and the National Statistical Office. Lakkhana Termsirikulchai, who managed a survey team, found out that of the 14.3 million people, who preferred tobacco, 7.9 million opt for manufactured cigarettes and the rest - 7.4 million - smoked hand-made cigarettes.
Just 6 out of every 10 smokers said they had the intention of quitting, whereas 5 in 10 tobacco users attempted to quit in the last 12 months. The survey revealed that 3.3 million employees are at risk of tobacco smoke at the workplace and 20.5 million adults to cigarette smoke in their families.
The survey ascertained the fact that 74.4 percent of adults noticed anti-tobacco messages on TV. Just one person for each 10 was conscious of cigarette selling in stores; 7 out of 10 smokers regarded quitting because of warning labels; and 98.6 per cent of adults trusted tobacco use provokes dangerous disease.
Dr Prakit Watheesathokkij, the general secretary of Health Foundation, has expressed solicitude over the use of hand-made cigarettes as the majority of people faultily suppose using them is less unhealthy than manufactured tobacco products. He mentioned that hand-made cigarettes also provoke dangerous disease for tobacco consumers like oral tumor and tumor of the esophagus. (Annually, about 100,000 people die in India from smoking hand-made cigarettes).He also said that the majority of cigarette producers are presently manufacturing more smokeless cigs after observing an augmenting course in smoke-free tobacco consumption among adolescents all over the world.
In order to decrease the number of hand-made cigarette consumers, Prakit has requested the authorities about the possibility to increase the tax level on hand-made tobacco products and amass the tax to 70 percent of the current rate product.
“I will bring this issue to discussion with the Finance Ministry before implementing the regulation,” Deputy Minister of Public Health Manit Nopamornbodee said. He also claimed he would consult with the Finance Ministry about augmenting the tax level on hand-made tobacco products and traditional medicine that contains such products.
He informed the Department of Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine of Public Health and the Department of Medical Science to carry on investigation regarding medicinal herbs that aid people to give up smoking.
At the same time, Thai Network against Tab Info Asia 2009, led by Dr Hatai Chitanont, has offered an open letter to Deputy Finance Minister, Prasit Pattaraprasit requesting to retract from the tobacco business event he is a result of opening the Exhibition Centre on Wednesday at Impact Arena Moung Thontani. Chitanont said. “Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has told Cabinet he will not allow government officials to be involved in the event.”
He added that in general government assistance for any action coordinated by the tobacco manufacturing would consist a blasphemy by the Thai authorities of the UN’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.