Researchers suggest that family and social values are determinants for smoking in women and men.
Half of smokers think that smoking by men is acceptable while only 1 in 10 people agree that smoking by women is acceptable. ThaiHealth urges support of smokers to encourage them to quit smoking as a New Year?s present for family members.
Dr. Buppha Sirirassamee, head of the research project, the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project, Thailand, from the Population and Social Research Institute, Mahidol University reported research results of monitoring conducted on 2,000 adult smokers and 1,000 adolescent smokers over 7 years (2005 – 2011). This project collected data 5 times over that period using a behavior monitoring survey. The 4th behavior monitoring survey was carried out in 2009 with results showing that 20% of smokers were able to quit smoking and 1 in 10 smokers returned to smoking. There were 2 factors that helped smokers make the decision to quit smoking: influence of family members and having health problems caused by smoking.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aree Chapakrai, a researcher of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project, Thailand, indicates that campaigns through public media by ThaiHealth are the right method to help smokers quit smoking. One campaign, ?Dad and Mom regret if their children smoke? which was broadcast from 2010 ? 2011 is an example. Information collected from February ? May 2011 from 1,740 smokers (90% of smokers were men) concerning this advertising campaign showed that 61.3% of smokers recognized this advertising campaign, 88% of those understood its message, 46.4% said it affected their intention to smoke, 71.4% talked about this advertising campaign with their friends, and 79.4% agreed that this campaign helped women to stop smoking. However, 20.6% were of the opinion that this campaign was not effective, and 44% of smokers accepted smoking by men, with only 1 in 10 smokers accepted smoking by women. The smokers living in Bangkok were the most accepting of smoking by women, followed by smokers living in all urban areas and then in suburban areas (16.2%, 11.9%, and 8.9%, respectively).
Dr. DDS. Siriwan Pitayarangsarit, the director of the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center (TRC) said that comparing survey results of the National Statistical Office in 2011 and previous years before 2004, results show that the prevalence of smoking in men was 43.69%(2004)which has been reduced to 41.69% (2011). However, smoking among men remains 20 times higher than smoking in women. The prevalence of smoking in women dropped from 2.64% (2004) to 2.14% (2011). Survey result also indicate the prevalence of smoking in women dropped the most in 2007, and has gradually stabilized, a result consistent with the findings from social values research projects. For this reason, ThaiHealth should invest more in advertising the unacceptability of smoking by both men and women, because no matter who smokes, effects from second ? hand smoke still impact family members.
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Coordinator: Haris Taweewatana, Tel., 0-2354-5346, 089-6627-917, Fax: 0-2354-5347 E-mail: haris@trc.or.th
