PRESS RELEASE:
Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, Puangpet Chunlaiad, has issued policies aimed at preventing e-cigarettes from falling into the hands of young students, targeting administrators of 437 schools in Bangkok.
Minister Puangpet expressed concerns over e-cigarettes posing a significant threat to Thai society. She emphasized that eradicating e-cigarettes requires collaboration across various entities.
Parents have raised alarms about the hidden sale of e-cigarettes near schools and community areas, leading to several coordinated inspections. In response, special task forces were formed in partnership with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Ministry of Public Health, and the Royal Thai Police, revealing many instances of e-cigarette sales around community areas and schools.
In parallel efforts, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has taken action against online sales of e-cigarettes, resulting in the shutdown of 1,700 websites. Minister Puangpet stressed the importance of prioritizing the e-cigarette issue to school administrators, advising them to educate students about the health and developmental hazards associated with e-cigarettes.
She also encouraged raising awareness among children and youth about the risks of e-cigarettes and fostering values in the new generation that oppose e-cigarette use.
Furthermore, she urged parents and the public to play a role by reporting e-cigarette sales, whether in physical locations or online, to the Consumer Protection Board’s hotline at 1166, the OCPB Connect app, and the @Traffyfondue LINE account of the BMA.
The preceding is a press release from the Thai Government PR Department.
