In Thailand, prepare a strict anti-smoking law to protect teenagers

The age limit for the sale of cigarettes to be raised to 20 years, and teenagers up to 18 years will be punished for selling tobacco products

Before the end of this year the Thai health experts are planning to submit to the government a new anti-smoking law, which will replace the relevant legislation in 1992.

How to tell the bill's authors, scientists from Mahidol University, Thailand, in the new edition of the strict limits laid addressed primarily to local teens. In particular, it will be totally banned trade in tobacco products by persons under 18 years of age, and the age limit on the sale of cigarettes to be raised from 18 to 20 years. Appears and the ban on online sales of cigarettes over the Internet.

For offenders in the law will be clearly spelled out the penalties, however, exactly what the author does not specify.

Director of the Centre to organize controlled studies of tobacco products in Thailand Sirivan Pitayarangsan said that in recent years the Thai teenagers started smoking significantly more than in the past. Thus, according to the center for the past year, 9.2% of teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18 are regular smokers. Moreover, the number of adherents of this habit in the country is growing annually by 300 thousand people.

According to another study conducted by the Thai social scientists, about 56% of the two thousand respondents sophomore who formed a task force, acknowledged that the school bought cigarettes from their underage friends. Another 79% of them claim that bought cigarettes in a store near their schools. In this case, according to 74% of teenagers, no one had ever asked them, proof of age.

Mahidol University representatives expect that the proposed measures in the bill will help reduce the number of smokers among teenagers, especially taking into account the fact that adolescents are more likely to buy cigarettes just from their peers. "This ban on the sale of tobacco to minors in any way will not violate their rights" - they say.

However, as experts admit, even such a serious intensification of restrictions may not be sufficient for the southern provinces. Now the number of smokers in this part of Thailand reaches a "record" 26 percent of the population. The root of the problem, experts say, lies in the fact that "adolescent smokers here have too easy access to the abundance of cheap cigarettes smuggled goods."

Recall, now in Thailand smoking is banned in all public places, including government offices, shops, rooms of bars, restaurants and cafes. For smokers, the streets are special ashtray with sand, and at the entrances to some of the larger supermarkets have smoking rooms with extractors. In this case, on packs of cigarettes sold in Thailand, require manufacturers to print horrifying pictures related to smoking illnesses psychological impact on the adherents of this bad habit.

By Alexander Semenov