PUBLISHED: 6 Nov 2024 at 08: 29
According to a health professional, Thailand has the highest number of female patients of secondhand smoke in the world, with those who are at risk of developing breast cancer 1.24 days higher than those who reside in tobacco-free conditions.
Dr Roengrudee Patanavanish, from Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine, said Tuesday the situation with secondhand smoking in Thailand is unsettling as 70 % of the country’s 34 million non-smoking individuals are reportedly affected by secondhand cigarettes.
She cited a study on Thailand’s health conducted by the Burden of Disease Research Program Thailand and the International Health Policy Program, which showed that on average, 688 Thai people per year died from illnesses relating to vintage smoke. She spoke at a lecture on the risks of secondhand smoke.
Dr Roengrudee said Thai women aged 15-49 ages, compared to those in 57 different places, are the 5th highest in the world to be exposed to secondhand fumes. She claimed that 68 % of them had home-related negative air pollution.
The condition is concerning, she added, as, according to the British Journal of Cancer 2024 release, second smoking may include a 1.24 times higher chance of developing breast cancer than people living in a tobacco-free setting.
She said breast tumor has claimed over Thai people 4, 800 life per month, or 13 people a day. It is the country’s number one malignancy among ladies, with 18, 000 new cases annually.
Kids are also at risk from passive tobacco at home, according to Dr. Suwanna Ruangkanchasetr of the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Centre. A survey showed that 55 % of Thai children aged 1-5 years live in a smoking environment. Their risk of developing a lower-respiratory condition is four times higher than those who live in a smoke-free culture, Dr Suwanna said.