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Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center (TRC) reveals that: (1) the number of Roll Your Own smokers (RYO) has dropped by over 1 million people; however, half of this number have turned to smoke cheap manufactured cigarettes, (2) the South of Thailand has the highest smoking rate, (3) efforts have been launched to collect a 3 baht tax per cigarette roll, and (4) ThaiHealth invites all parties to work on reducing cigarette smoking.

Dr. DDS. Siriwan Pitayarangsarit, Director of the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center (TRC) indicates that the work of tobacco control parties along with support from ThaiHealth that the local level has reduced the number of RYO smokers from 5.3 million (2011) to lower than 4 million(2013). However, the survey from the National Statistical Office shows that the number of smokers smoking factory cigarettes increased from 6.1 to 6.5 million which was a big increase in the overall number of smokers of factory cigarettes. The number of smokers overall is not that much different than in previous years, especially regarding the smoking rates in the North, the Northeast, and the South of Thailand. The South of Thailand has the highest smoking prevalence (24.65%), followed by the Northeast (22.76%).The important measures to control marketing strategies of cheap cigarettes is using price measures and measures to control toxic constituents in these products. The urgent issues needing to be addressed are to: (1) increase tobacco tax using a specific rate which currently is collected at one baht per gram. This tax collection rate is able to be increased up to 3 baht per gram according to the Tobacco Product Control Act B.E. 2509 (1966) whereby the Minister of Finance is authorized to issue a ministerial Notification. The number of cigarettes upon which tax is paid each year is over 40,000 million rolls. However, if the cigarette tax would increase from 1 baht to 3 baht per roll, the government income would increase to over 80,000 million baht per year. This Notification affecting cigarettes brought into the country should be published in order to seriously reduce cigarettes being brought into the country without paying cigarette taxes, and there should be (2) control levels on toxics such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and carcinogens such as nitrosamines in cigarettes and cigarette smoke.

These constituents should be added to the current list for which cigarette companies must currently submit reports (indicating only tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide). As a first step, the Minister of Health should immediately issue regulations to require cigarette companies to report substances, toxins and carcinogens in cigarette rolls and cigarette smoke. Information gained from knowledge of cigarette substance reports would then be used to control toxin levels in further controls, said Dr. Siriwan.

Dr. Bundit Sornpaisarn, Director of the Division of Risk Factor Control, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) announced on 21 February 2014 that ThaiHealth along with TRC, the Tobacco Consumption Control Office of the Department of Disease Control, the National Health Foundation (NHF), and network partners will participate together in planning to control risk factors on tobacco in the next 3 years. All public sectors, academic sectors and all parties are invited to submit concepts on the theme, Innovation for Effective Tobacco Control which ThaiHealth will incorporate into its 3-yearwork plan to encourage all supporting parties in health promotion in order to reduce the health risks of tobacco. Interested sectors were able to submit concepts to e-mail member@trc.or.th or SMS to 0-85668 -0421 by 28 February 2014.

Request more information:
Dr. DDS. Siriwan Pitayarangsarit, 081-4837807, the director of the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center (TRC)