August 9, 2008
Bangkok - 1.6 million Thai teenagers totally spent 20 million baht per day on cigarette. Youths who were less than 18 years old could easily buy the cigarettes.
The number of smokers in the past ten years tended to drop in all groups of age.
There were 1.6 million teen smokers in 2007, 100,000-people increase from 2006.
The increasing number of new smokers was found among teenagers aged 15-24 years old.
93.6% of teenagers aged less than 18 years did not have to show their identity cards when buying cigarettes, according to the national statistical office.
75.7% had close friends who were smokers while 20% took up to ten cigarettes per day, according to a survey in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Songkla.
Favorite smoking places were at house, friend’s house and school.
90% said teachers and close female friends should not smoke the most. 60% got no pressure to stop smoking.
The government was urged to issue a law to prevent cigarettes companies from meeting politicians and civil servants so that the government’s policy would not be interfered.
