May 30, 2009
Bangkok (ASTV Manager Online) – Public health ministry has introduced the ‘Stop Smoking’ hotline to encourage Thai smokers to give up their smoking habit.
Thailand’s smoking situation has picked up, and the number of smokers has dropped gradually.
Public Health Minister Vittaya Kaewparadai said the ministry contacted 800 hospitals nationwide to open ‘Stop Smoking’ clinics.
The ministry also had a policy to include smoking addiction treatment in the Social Security Office’s medical privileges.
It is expected that the policy will be enforced at the end of this year.
Advice on how to stop smoking can be accessed at the hotline 1600. The phone rate is three baht a time, and this is applied to all provinces nationwide.
Public health ministry targets to reduce one percent of male smokers per year.
It will also try to control the number of female smokers, so that the number will not rise more.
The pharmacy network for tobacco control earlier launched the volunteer pharmacy scheme to give knowledge and advice on how to stop smoking to general public.
More than 300 pharmacies and 3,000 pharmacists have joined this project. Pharmacists were trained how to treat and give advice to smokers.
