Tobacco.org

Smoking, drinking Thai health official says he's no model for anti-smoking campaign 

One of Thailand's most high-profile bad boys may have secured himself a respectable position in the Health Ministry, but he's not yet ready to become a poster child for any campaigns to promote clean living.

The Health Ministry indicated last week that Wan Yoobamrung, who has a well-known history of barroom brawls, could feature in advertisements to publicize newly imposed smoking bans in bars, nightclubs and open-air markets -- a suggestion that raised eyebrows given Wan's notorious past.

"I can't accept the role because I still smoke and drink," Wan said Friday, his first day at work as the secretary to the deputy minister of health. "I'm trying to quit."

Jump to full article »