Thailand
The Thai Cabinet has reportedly endorsed the 2nd National Strategy For Tobacco Control that is aimed at reducing the number of smokers in five years.
The plan consists of six strategies. They are focused on making people aware of the negative health effects of smoking, preventing new smokers adopting the habit, providing greater access to help if a smoker wants to quit smoking, implementing tobacco ingredient controls, restricting smoking to designated areas and enforcing the tobacco tax.
The endorsement is expected to save 25% more people from cigarette addiction by 2019. The Cabinet has also given the green light to a proposal that will enable physical education teachers to become civil servant employees in a bid to solve teacher shortages.
During the cabinet meeting, cabinet members were also briefed on efforts being made to restore destroyed forests, by Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan. He said local residents have already been asked to cooperate with the authorities when the restoration process begins. Forest restoration will take place first in Chiang Mai and Nan.