The 8th National Conference on Tobacco or Health : New Threats from Tobacco Industries
The 8th National Conference on Tobacco or Health : New Threats from Tobacco Industries
Date: August 24-25, 2009 Venue : Miracle Grand Convention Hotel, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Bangkok
Background : The National conference on Tobacco or Health was at the knowledge exchange stage for participants in tobacco consumption control networks including academic staff, researchers, lecturers, public and private authorities, civil society, and the general public who were interested in participating, exchanging, and listening to academic presentations leading to better tobacco consumption control performance in the future.
Although having powerful enforcement of regulations in tobacco consumption control, Thailand also has several weaknesses in restrictions on tobacco consumption control resulting in ineffective and inefficient outcomes. However, the overall situation can improve only after reflection on several dimensions found in target groups as below:
- The number of men smokers aged 19-59 was higher than 40%
- 18% was the number of smokers who quit smoking, However, the initial young smokers are 7.25% (15-18 years) and 21.27% (19-24 years) respectively in 2007. Frightfully, 69% of young female smokers (15-24 years) started smoking since aged 14
- Most smokers are less fortune, have low education, live in rural areas and have lower incomes
Other effects related to smoking are caused by external factors like free trade that provides tobacco industries a completive advantage in gaining market share, resulting in increases in tobacco consumption. Limiting tobacco consumption is impossible for only one individual or organization. Therefore, the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center (TRC), Mahidol University, together with the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Non-Smoking Campaign, National Quitline, Asia Tobacco Control Alliance and Thailand Health Promotion Institute and Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThailHealth) held the 8th National Conference on Tobacco or Health with the title of, New Threats from the Tobacco Industries, aiming to exchange knowledge among participants and to encourage community performance and drive public policies resulting in effective tobacco consumption control in the future.
