Tobacco.org

• Clove cigarettes target young smokers  

Due to their exotic aroma, clove-flavoured cigarettes have lured young people into smoking, according to Dr Hathai Chitanon, president to the Thailand Health Promotion Institute.

"A clove cigarette releases eugenol, an essential oil obtained from cloves. Inhaling it causes an upper part of the trachea to go numb. It also diminishes the gag reflex in smokers and smoke can get deep into the lungs," he said.

Eugenol is commonly used in dentistry.

"It's eugenol that makes young people addicted to clove-flavoured cigarettes, compared to conventional ones," he said.

Dr Hathai, who was speaking at a recent forum on clove cigarettes held by the Thailand Health Promotion Institute, National Health Foundation and Thai Health Promotion Foundation also expressed concern that clove cigarettes or kretek, which are smuggled from Indonesia can be widely found on Bangkok streets. Satun and Hat Yai in Songkhla are major smuggling points.

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Building Tobacco Control Research in Thailand: Meeting the Need for Innovative Change in Asia 

Introduction

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over the past two decades locally relevant tobacco control research has been scant. Experience shows that tobacco control measures should be based on sound research findings to ensure that measures are appropriate for local conditions and that they are likely to have an impact. Research should also be integrated within tobacco control measures to ensure ongoing learning and the production of knowledge. Thailand, a middle-income country, has a public health community with a record of successful tobacco control and a longstanding commitment to research. . . .

Conclusion

The evolution of tobacco control research in Thailand provides examples of steppingstones that LMICs may be able to use to construct their own tobacco control research pathways.

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Tobacco monopoly looks to raise market share 

But sales in recent years have been decreasing due to an amendment to the excise tariff in 2009 that raised cigarette prices.

In addition, some consumers have switched to low-priced imports or roll-your-own tobacco.

Anti-smoking campaigns launched by government agencies and the private sector have also affected sales volume.

These developments have prompted the state enterprise to outline its strategic plans to improve performance and stay competitive.

Based on TTM's five-year plan, it vows to increase its market share by 0.25 percentage points each year to 77.5% by 2015, with sales revenue of 60 billion baht for a net profit of 5 billion over the period.

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• Experts warn against clove cigarettes 

Cigarettes flavoured to taste like clove are becoming popular among new smokers because they are tasty and do not make the throat hurt, a seminar on tobacco control was told yesterday.

The aromatic eugenol chemical compound used in the "clove cigarette" helps make the smoker's air sacs numb, prompting them to inhale deeper and subsequently get addicted to the rush of nicotine, Dr Hathai Chitanont, director of Thailand Health Promotion Institute, said.

"Firsttime smokers do not choke while trying out a clove cigarette and inhale deeper. This is considered more dangerous and should be regulated," he said.

The cigarettes, smuggled into Thailand from Malaysia, are widely available and at Bt20 for four cigarettes, are easily affordable by youngsters, Assoc Prof Sriratch Larpyai, a Rangsit University lecturer, said.

He explained that these cigarettes come in different flavours and some even have bits of mint candy inside them, which makes smoking a delicious experience. Also, the cigarettes are sold in attractive packaging, are smaller in size and some are even marked "slim" to attract women.

These cigarettes can be found in most of Bangkok's night markets as well as in Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi.

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Let's go to the movies  

Now playing in Pattaya

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: US/ Sweden/ UK/ Germany, Crime/ Drama/ Mystery/ Thriller – I am quite fond of the stunning Swedish original, so was skeptical of this English remake. And the film started out terribly for me . . .

Then the film starts out like a strung-out product placement or advertisement for a certain specific brand of American cigarettes, which I didn’t appreciate.

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Increase in tobacco tax key to success 

Veteran anti-smoking advocate Prakit Vathesatogkit was recently elected secretary-general of the International Network of Health Promotion Foundations. He talks to APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL about his work and challenges in advancing health promotion activities around the world.

What is the INHPF's mission?

The organisation was established in 1999 to enhance the performance of health promotion foundations in member countries through exchange, mutual learning and joint action. The INHPF also mentors and supports the establishment of new health foundations in member countries and beyond.

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Cigarettes worth RM888,000 seized 

The Kedah Customs Department detained a lorry driver with 6,390 cartons of contraband cigarettes worth RM888,296, including unpaid duties, at Km35 near the Jitra toll plaza on Wednesday.

Its director, Datuk Abd Aziz Abdul Latif, said following a tip-off, an enforcement team stopped the three-tonne lorry at 7.35pm and seized the contraband kept in 111 boxes.

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Increase in tobacco tax key to success 

Veteran anti-smoking advocate Prakit Vathesatogkit was recently elected secretary-general of the International Network of Health Promotion Foundations. He talks to APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL about his work and challenges in advancing health promotion activities around the world.

What is the INHPF's mission?

The organisation was established in 1999 to enhance the performance of health promotion foundations in member countries through exchange, mutual learning and joint action. The INHPF also mentors and supports the establishment of new health foundations in member countries and beyond. . .

y.

Although donations from some rich countries are no longer there, there is still money available in many countries. But their tax systems should be amended to run a health promotion programme. The best way is to increase so-called sin taxes. Policy-makers must play a role in collecting tax from tobacco and alcohol for supporting a health promotion system. They shouldn't wait for donations.

The Lancet, Britain's weekly medical journal, released research during the last UN summit on non-communicable diseases showing tobacco control was the single most important measure contributing to the reduction of non-communicable diseases. An increase in tobacco tax can help countries run their health programme to achieve their goals.

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• Most night spots stick to smoking rules: survey  

A survey of smokers' habits by Mahidol University has found a high percentage of entertainment venues enforce no-smoking laws on their premises, while less than half of all smokers complied with them, activists reported at a Bangkok media conference yesterday.

The activists said the no-smoking laws would not be effective if smokers were not subject to fines, while venues would be unwilling to be harsh on their smoking customers.

In the survey conducted at three key entertainment strips in Bangkok and one in Pattaya, 67.7 per cent of venues were "active" in upholding no-smoking laws, while 59.5 per cent did so in Pattaya, said Assoc Prof Phimphawal Bunmongkhol.

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MAHANONDA: Kicking the habit 

Did you know that initially it was believed that smoking could cleanse the lungs, since smoking caused coughing and bringing up phlegm? The indigenous nations of the Americas were the first people to smoke tobacco and the habit was introduced to Spain where it became widespread. Soon the trend caught on in the whole Europe and America.

In Thailand, smoking was brought in by foreigners, but some locals have been smoking for a long time. Tobacco can be smoked and chewed. By smoking, tobacco is burned and the smoker inhales the smoke into the lungs, such as in smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes. . . .

A patient of mine was about 40 years old. . . .

He exercised correctly and stopped smoking. I gave him that advice because for smokers, after a year of not smoking, the chance of heart disease could drop by 50%.

However, about a year after his heart attack, he came back to see me. I noticed something strange about him.

Me: Why are you smoking again?

Him: How do you know that?

Me: Your lips are dark and you smell of cigarettes. How could I not know?

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• Manila, Bangkok agree on WTO tobacco tax ruling compliance  

Manila and Bangkok have agreed on the reasonable period of time for Thailand to comply with the ruling of the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the two Asean countries' tobacco tax row, the Department of Trade and Industry said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Secretary Gregory L. Domingo described the agreement as proof of the effectiveness of the multilateral trading system in resolving trade issues to expand global trade.

The DTI initially consulted the Technical Committee on WTO Matters (TCWM), external counsels, and affected private industry on the time frame.

Under the agreement between the two countries, Thailand will adopt a two-track approach, where certain rulings by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) must be complied with until October 15, 2012; and the rest even earlier, or within 10 months before May 15, 2012.

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Cigarette Exports To Thailand Growing  

Philippines cigarette exports to Thailand were estimated to reach $200 million in 2010 and could further grow with the favorable ruling by the World Trade Organization on tax issue on the country's cigarette exports. Trade and Industry undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal said this as he cited the contribution of the world trading body in the growth of the country's exports.

"The Philippine membership to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has helped the country's trade expand in the global market," said Cristobal.

WTO provides a dispute settlement mechanism to resolve trade issues and concerns among its member states. The 'rules-based' trading system provides due process for trade disputes.

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Great inclination to smoke among younger adults coming from low-socioeconomic class in Thailand. 

Conclusions

The inverse associations between smoking prevalence and socioeconomic status among the Thai adult male population were consistently confirmed. The social gradient in smoking was greater among young adult males than that among older adult males.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.

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• Tobacco laws to be strengthened as young smokers on rise 

The Public Health Ministry plans to strengthen two anti-smoking laws in a bid to curb smoking.

Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said the government will amend the 1992 Tobacco Control Act and the 1992 Non-smokers' Health Protection Act in a bid to catch up with modern forms of tobacco trade, marketing and advertising, such as online commercials and public events which are sponsored by multinational tobacco companies.

Mr Wittaya was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day conference on tobacco and public health which concluded yesterday.

The move was part of Thailand's effort to comply with the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), to which Thailand is a party.

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Ex-Cumbrian train driver jailed for international cigarette fraud 

A former west Cumbrian train driver who lived a life of luxury in Thailand on the profits he made from an international cigarette fraud has been jailed for nearly four years.

A judge at Carlisle Crown Court described 53-year-old Peter Farquhar as "a man with neither shame nor conscience" - not least for the way he recruited his friends in Egremont to help him in his criminal enterprise.

Farquhar, formerly of Briscoe Crescent, Whitehaven, claimed that "life is hardly worth living" because he was so incapacitated by Aids and a weak heart.

But in reality he was enjoying an active life in Thailand, living in a plush house with its own swimming pool and driving an expensive 4x4, while all the time masterminding the cigarette smuggling scam that netted him more than £200,000.

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