“I would never support e-cigarette legalizing because nicotine isn’t good for health no matter where or in what form” – Thailand’s minister of public health Anutin Charnvirakul.
Thailand’s deputy prime minister and public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul firmly stated that his ministry will not support the legalization of e-cigarettes in the country.
“I would never support e-cigarette legalizing because nicotine isn’t good for health no matter where or in what form,” he said, adding that an urgent solution was needed before e-cigarettes become more popular.
Anutin tasked the National Tobacco Control Committee under the Department of Disease Control (DDC) to review current laws to see whether they need to be revised or new laws to be issued to control the use and sale of e-cigarette products more effectively, but was also assured that current laws are sill able to prevent e-cigarette use and sale.
According to Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) second deputy chairman, Dr. Surachet Satitniramai, many businesses have been pushing for the importation and sale of e-cigarettes become legalized, despite e-cigarettes being “a drug that provides no benefit as they contain chemicals that shouldn’t be introduced into the body.”
“E-cigarettes are not beneficial to tobacco farmers, either, as they don’t use tobacco-derived substances and would cause the farmers to suffer income loss,” said Dr. Surachet. “There are no benefits to e-cigarettes in any aspect, whether its health or steering the economy for agricultural groups, so we must enforce stringent control to block e-cigarettes in every channel.”