WHO backs new tobacco control law

The World Health Organisation (WHO) backs the Public Health Ministry’s new tobacco control law, the government says.

WHO director-general Margaret Chan expressed support for the law in a letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin says.

The law is awaiting cabinet scrutiny but has already met strong resistance among tobacco retailers and growers who fear they will lose benefits.

The bill’s main targets are to reduce smoking among youths by increasing the minimum age at which someone can buy tobacco from 18 to 20 years old, banning the online sale of tobacco products and the sale of individual cigarettes.

The law will also list e-cigarette and baraku as tobacco products, and ban all covert advertisements.

“I believe this approach is an effective step, as Thailand is striving to reduce the proportion of people that smoke, which has not seen any significant reduction during several years, especially in rural areas where the roll-your-own cigarette is the main form of tobacco consumption,” Ms Chan said in her letter.

“I take this opportunity to reflect the conclusions of a recent meeting between your government and the WHO, which pointed to the pressing need not only of passing and implementing the new law, but also of increasing significantly the excise taxes on roll-your-own cigarettes to ensure the stalemate in tobacco use in Thailand is broken in favour of health,” she said.

Meanwhile, Vera Lurza da Costa e Silva, head of the secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, has also written to Gen Prayut to praise Thailand for following the framework’s guidelines.

The new tobacco control law would bring the Thai legislative framework in compliance with the requirements of the convention, he said. “We encourage you to go forward and implement this legislation,” said WHO representative to Thailand Yonas Tegegn, who joined a press briefing yesterday with Dr Rajata.

Last week, Dr Rajata met representatives of the Justice Ministry, Agriculture and Cooperative Ministry, Commerce Ministry, Finance Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry to discuss the new law.

They were concerned about some issues including the need for a mitigation plan for tobacco growers who may be affected by lower sales of cigarettes.

Unveiling details of the law change last December, the Public Health Ministry said it was revamping the 22-year-old tobacco control law to cover electronic cigarettes, raku (shisha) and to catch up with the marketing strategies of tobacco giants.