Thailand: Number of Thai Smokers on Upward Trend to 13 Million

Source from:  MCOT 1 (Modernine TV) (th)  03/15/2013

Despite unrelenting measures to curb smoking, the number of Thai smokers has increased to 13 million, a rise by 500,000 people in four years, a senior health official said.

Jedsada Chokdamrongsuk, Health Department director general, said 46.6 per cent of the new smokers are men and 2.6 per cent women while 5.1 million people smoke cigarettes from tobacco manufacturing companies and 4.7 million smokers roll their own cigarettes.
 
A survey found the highest number of second-hand smokers in fresh markets and open-air markets (68.8 per cent) while second-hand smokers in households and offices represented 36 per cent and 30.5 per cent respectively.
 
The Health Department on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thai Health Professional Alliance against Tobacco to jointly promote hospitals and health centres as smoke free zones. Enditem