New push in Thailand for ban on smoking in private vehicles
The Tobacco Products Control Committee is pushing to ban smoking in private cars to reduce passengers’, especially children’s, exposure to harmful smoke lingering in small spaces
The Tobacco Products Control Committee is eyeing the potentially controversial measure of banning smoking in private vehicles to protect people from second-hand smoke.
Committee member Prof Dr Prakit Wathisathokkit said at a seminar held at Ramathibodi Hospital on Tuesday that this planned ban would protect family members and third parties from health risks posed by second-hand smoke.
The seminar titled “Invisible Murderer: How Many Thais Die from Second-Hand Smoking” was organised by the Ramathibodi Medical School of Mahidol University.
Prakit told the seminar that since smoking is already banned in public transport, it can also be banned in private vehicles. “This ban is already in place in many countries,” he said.
Explaining the reason behind his push for the ban, he said cars have limited space, so people entering the vehicle are at greater risk of being affected by leftover smoke and nicotine. He said nicotine can remain inside the vehicle for hours.
Assoc Prof Dr Rerngruedee Pathanwanit from the medical school told the seminar that approximately 70% of Thais are affected by second-hand smoke and an average of 20,688 Thais have died of health complications caused by second-hand smoke each year. She said these figures come from the records of medical checkups in 2019.
She also pointed out that Thailand stands fifth in the list of countries where women aged 15 to 49 are affected by second-hand smoke.
Rerngruedee said this was worrying because a study published in the British Journal of Cancer this year shows that women hit by second-hand smoke have a 124% higher chance of getting breast cancer than those who are not.
Prof Dr Suwanna Ruangkanchasetr, deputy director of the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Centre, told the seminar that recent research found that up to 55% of families with children in the one-five age group had smokers in the house. If Bangkok alone is considered, then the percentage rises to 62%.
She added that it was also found that 67% of young children in homes with smokers had to see doctors with serious health issues and 32% had to be admitted to hospital.
Researchers also found higher than safe levels of nicotine in the hair of children in homes with smokers, she added.
