BANGKOK: Thailand should strengthen its law enforcement and monitoring system for vaping or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to avoid a severe mass tragic addiction in the future, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Thailand Dr Jos Vandelaer warned on Monday (Dec 18).
His remarks came just days after WHO issued an official statement urging governments around the world to take steps to prevent the use of e-cigarettes, claiming that the product is more harmful than it claims to be.
Speaking at a forum hosted by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Vandelaer praised the kingdom's decision to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in the country.
However, since vaping is still widespread in Thailand, particularly among young people, he believes the country must do a better job of enforcing the law and regulations, and that means ensuring that e-cigarettes are not used, sold, or imported into Thailand.
Apart from concrete enforcement, he pointed out that the Thai government must improve its monitoring system to not only monitor the channels through which e-cigarettes enter the country but also to monitor users and understand why they use them.
“Monitor where the e-cigarettes come from. How can we better understand who is using and why they are using it? So, monitor the use, the sale, and the situation so that real action can be taken and the ban can be truly enforced," he said.
He explained that keeping a close eye on the vaping movement aids in gathering and updating useful information about how the vaping market is developing so that the government can implement additional measures such as a ban on advertising, digital marketing, or funding to make the ban effective.
Vandelaer also stressed his full support for the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation, the public sector and related organisations in their efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes, according to WHO, are addictive, harmful, and unsafe.
It cited several instances of scientific evidence demonstrating that e-cigarettes emit substances known to cause cancer, and that they are associated with an increased risk of lung disorders, poisoning, injuries and burns, and immediate nicotine toxicity through inhalation on their own.
These substances can also have negative impacts on cardiovascular health by increasing heart rate and blood pressure. E-cigarette use in adolescents can impact brain development and lead to learning disorders. Bystanders are also at risk from exposure to e-cigarette emissions.
"In other words, vaping, or e-cigarette use, is not as harmless as the tobacco industry would have you believe. When you use an e-cigarette, you are not simply inhaling steam. Poisonous substances are inhaled by you," the WHO's representative to Thailand stressed.
"Don’t get fooled! There is as of now no evidence that the commercialisation of e-cigarettes as consumer products has had a net benefit for public health,” he stressed, adding that emerging evidence suggests that e-cigarettes may lead to long-term nicotine dependence.
Therefore, the idea that e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking does not appear to be a good one.
"WHO strongly supports Thailand in this approach. E-cigarettes have no place in society. Full stop. You have heard why that is. E-cigarettes are addictive and harmful to health. Our view is that the government should continue to ban the sale of e-cigarettes, whatever the argument may be to relax the current regulation," he concluded.
This WHO statement comes as some political parties in Thailand are proposing to repeal the e-cigarette law.
Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit, chairman of the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation, said that although the country has already banned e-cigarettes, the market for e-cigarettes is rapidly expanding.
According to a recent study by the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Thai youth aged 13-15 increased their exposure to e-cigarettes from 3.3% in 2015 to 8.8% in 2021.
During that time, the country implemented an anti-e-cigarette law. Electronic cigarettes have been prohibited in Thailand since 2014.
Prakit pointed out that almost all young people use e-cigarettes because they believe vaping is less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
Furthermore, e-cigarettes are promoted in a wide range of products and flavours.
“These teenagers who start using e-cigarettes have never smoked before and e-cigarettes cause them to be nicotine addictive," he said.
He cited a 2018 study conducted in the US that found that the treatment cost for nicotine addiction caused by vaping is several times greater than the tax collected by the government from the vaping industry.
As a result, it is preferable to prevent youth from using e-cigarettes at an early age.
"Once they start, they will undoubtedly be addicted. If we allow e-cigarettes to be widely used among our youth, we will be embarking on a new public health crisis," he emphasised.
Meanwhile, Prakit pointed out that if Thailand chooses to be one of the countries that allow the commercialisation (sale, importation, distribution, and manufacturing) of e-cigarettes as consumer products, the country must adhere to WHO's guidelines.
These include ensuring strict regulations to reduce e-cigarette appeal and harm to the public, such as banning all flavours, limiting nicotine concentration and quality, and taxing them.
He said that Thailand is not yet ready to implement those guidelines. As a result, completely prohibiting e-cigarettes is the best option.
Thai Health Promotion Foundation assistant manager Pairoj Saonuam agreed with Prakit and WHO's representative to Thailand.
He expressed concern about Thailand's e-cigarette situation, noting that Thai children and teenagers are increasingly using e-cigarettes.
According to a study conducted by the Department of Health Service Support on e-cigarette smoking behaviour among Thai youth, 9.1% of 61,688 Thai youth smoked electronic cigarettes, with the majority of them (92.2%) persuaded to do so by friends, and nearly all of them believing that e-cigarettes do not harm their health.
Meanwhile, another study found that 76% of young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to use other addictive drugs in the future.
Currently, there are over 550,000 different types of e-cigarettes on the market, with over 16,000 different flavours. They are all trying to attract young people. As a result, it is the responsibility of all parties to raise awareness among youth about the true dangers of e-cigarettes and to instill in them the desire to refrain from using them, Pairoj said. - The Nation/ANN
