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• Death of monks prompts ban on smoking in temples 

The Public Health Ministry will issue a total ban on smoking in temples nationwide, following the discovery that over 18,000 monk smokers were suffering or had died from chronic diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, and pulmonary emphysema.

Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit, the Action On Smoking And Health Foundation's secretarygeneral, said the new ministerial issuance to ban smoking in temples as well as in schools and hospitals, will be announced by the Department of Disease Control.

The proposed ban was not only to reduce the number of monks who smoke, "but also because we want the monk to be a role model for Buddhists to give up smoking," said Prakit.

A 2003 2004 study, conducted by the Priest hospital, found that cancer, tuberculosis, and pulmonary emphysema were the most common chronic diseases to affect 18,000 monk smokers during the past few years.

Another study conducted in 2004 by Mahidol University's Faculty of Public Health showed 91 per cent of monks across country supported a prohibition on monks smoking, while 80 percent agreed to ban devotees from giving cigarettes to monks.

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