THAILAND
The Thai Public Health Ministry has revealed an increased tobacco tax will be effective from July 4 in an effort to curb smoking, particularly among low-income smokers. The tax hike is part of the wider enforcement of the Tobacco Products Act 2017 which comes into effect on the same day. The ministry will also introduce tougher regulations on e-cigarettes from the middle of the year.
Jitlada Areesantichai, head of Chulalongkorn University’s Drug Dependence Research Centre, said there was no evidence to support the popular belief that smoking e-cigarettes can help wean a person off smoking conventional cigarettes. She also said many e-cigarettes are imported and sold illegally, mostly through websites, and that new models of e-cigarettes are also promoted, which motivates young people to try out the products, leading to many more becoming addicted.