Smokers, beware! Throw your cigar away now or face the law. (Image via: The Conversation)

Thailand to Ban Smoking at Home

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Politics & Economic
International
Jun 24, 2019
1801
Smoking is never a good idea. Despite the mass concept that some people smoke to seek relief from stress, smoking causes health issue for the smokers and for those who accidentally inhale the smoke. Thailand’s government pays intensive care for its families by passing a revised bill that forbids any individual in any family to smoke in their house.

According to the Royal Gazette issued on Friday (21/6), the law is going to run into effect starting 20 August. Thailand named the act as “Act on Promotion of the Family Institute Development and Protection”.

Although it seems like an invasion of privacy, Thailand just wants to make sure that every family member is safe from the threat of being a passive smoker.

The act further delineated that should any clinics be found ignoring children exposed to smoke as second or third-hand smokers and ignoring rehabilitation for the smokers themselves, such clinics will be charged with violating Article 29 of the Child Protection Act.

Chief of the Department of Women's Affairs and Family Development, Lertpanya Booranabundit, stated that the act aims to control smoking at home, seen as an act of domestic violence. Why is it domestic violence? Smoking harms other family members who have to suffer the toxic smoke, rendering them as passive smokers. In the 18th National Conference on Tobacco and Lung Health held in Bangkok on 20 June, Booranabundit pointed out that 2 courts await those who breach the Act: Criminal Court and Central Juvenile & Family Court.

During his speech, Booranabundit also added that smoking at home increases the risk of respiratory disease in the household; 47% chance of bronchitis or pneumonia and 39% chance of asthma. Not to mention, mothers exposed to cigar smoke are more prone to infant death or syndrome.

This act serves to reach Thailand’s target: to cut down tobacco consumption at least 30% by 2025. This was due to the statistics that tabulated about 400,000 Thai people died due to cigar smoke. In addition, 5 million Thai households consist of smokers in it; hence there were about 10 million Thai people exposed to the smoke as second or third-hand smokers.

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/smoking-at-home-to-soon-become-a-punishable-offence-in-thailand

Politics , Law , Act , Bill , Thailand , ASEAN , Tobacco , Mortality , Household , Respiratory-disease