AstraZeneca Thailand collaborates with Plan International Thailand in its third year of “Young Health Programme” for World No Tobacco Day campaign

Educational activities were organized to raise youth’s awareness of smoking-caused health effects, led by Plan International Thailand, AstraZeneca Thailand employees, and the Peer Educators who have completed YHP Peer Education training. Furthermore, the students shared their perspectives on living without tobacco and how young people can refuse and prevent smoking from reducing the risk of NCDs on the Young Health Programme Thailand social media.

The World No Tobacco Day (May 31) is an opportunity to raise awareness of tobacco use's harmful and deadly effects, both first-hand and second-hand smoke. Statistics show most people start smoking and become addicted to nicotine when they are still children. Those whose parents or siblings smoke are three times more likely to smoke than children living in non-smoking households. In addition, children who start smoking at a young age are more likely to smoke heavily and find it harder to give up.

The World Health Organization reports that smoking kills more than eight million people each year. More than seven million of them die from firsthand smoke, while over 1.2 million deaths are related to secondhand smoke. In Thailand, the National Statistical Office reveals that 10.7 million Thais are smokers. Of them, more than three million are youth. On average, up to 17.3 million Thais are exposed to secondhand smoke from family members. Exposing to secondhand smoke for 30 minutes is harmful to blood vessel lining, which then possibly leads to coronary artery disease2. Such exposure also raises the risks of various other NCDs, such as lung cancer, emphysema, respiratory disorders, heart and blood-vessel conditions, nervous-system issues, weaker body functions, and many other health problems. 

The Young Health Programme Thailand, launched in November 2019, is a five-year programme that aims to contribute to the improved health and wellbeing of young people. It aims to ensure that young people in Thailand have increased knowledge about risk behaviours and NCD prevention, which gives them greater capacity to make informed decisions about their health through key educational and inspiring activities; on-the-ground NCD prevention sessions for young people, youth leadership and advocacy training, monthly campaigns and events linked to awareness, youth-friendly health service training for health professional, score-carding by peer educators, seminar on NCD prevention among young people, implement the advocacy strategy, and participation of young people in key advocacy events. The Young Health Programme Thailand hopes to directly reach more than 75,000 young people and community members with health information and NCD prevention programming. Indirectly, it expects to reach an additional 500,000 people in the broader community through campaigns and awareness-raising activities.