PUBLISHED: 17 Aug 2024 at 04: 00
According to a new report, more than 9, 000 people die annually in Thailand from secondhand smoke, which is a price higher than that in the United States.
According to a source, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council ( NESDC ) recently gave the cabinet a report on the nation’s social situation for the first quarter of 2024.
Important issues included workers problems, home loan, safety, consumer protection, and health, especially the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes. According to the review, there were 259 and 672 people who were afflicted with clinical monitoring conditions in the first third of this year, an increase of 80 % from the previous year.
The rise was primarily attributable to ongoing outbreaks from the previous year, which included dengue fever, which increased by 106.8 % and influenza, which increased by 195.2 %.
Additionally, the report found a 7.7 % increase in alcohol consumption, most likely as a result of New Year’s Eve celebrations, while a 1 % decrease in cigarette usage. The report addressed concerns about vintage smoke’s effects, though.
It cited data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which revealed that 9, 433 Thai people pass away from secondhand smoking each year, more than the 7, 300 cases that have been documented in the United States. The report recommended that government agencies launch campaigns against smoking in public spaces, maintain laws, and establish designated smoking regions to lessen exposure to secondhand smoke.
Dr Suwanna Ruangkanchanaset, deputy director-general of the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center ( TRC ), said some parents still believe that e-cigarettes are harmless and legal.
The TRC has urged the government to take action on the issue and aims to teach parents about the risk of e-cigarettes, according to Dr. Suwanna.
Dr Adisak Plitponkarnpim, from the Royal College of Paediatricians of Thailand and chairman of Mahidol University’s National Institute for Child and Family Department, warned that smoke, a key component of e-cigarette smoke drink, may cause blood vessels to constrict, leading to pneumonitis and various health problems.
Because children’s brains are in the development stage, he said, the results are even worse in them. The very addictive chemical may affect mental function, memory, attention and feelings.
Vaping also raises the possibility that young people will switch from traditional smoking as they get older, which could lead to the use of illegal drugs.
He even warned against the same health risks as soot from conventional cigarettes by citing an American Heart Association research.