According to a survey, 9.1% of young people in Thailand use e-cigarettes, which has public health officials gravely concerned about their health. Between April 25 and June 6, 2023, 61,688 people responded to the Department of Health Service Support’s (DHSS) countrywide survey. The greatest rate among the 13 areas examined was found in Bangkok, where 14.6% of young people reported using vapes.
According to the poll, 13.6% of people in two locations reported using e-cigarettes, placing them second overall. They were AH No.3 (which included the provinces of Chai Nat, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Pichit, and Uthai Thani) and AH No.9 (which included the provinces of Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Burirum, and Surin).
With a little lower rate of 13.2%, AH No. 4, which includes Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Nakhon Nayok, came in second. The percentage remained alarmingly high at 12% in AH No. 5, which includes Bueng Kan, Loei, Nong Khai, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Udon Thani, Nakhon Phanom, and Sakon Nakhon. According to the survey, 92.2% of the young people who participated first used e-cigarettes at the recommendation of their peers. While 3.2% and 1.6%, respectively, said that their introduction to vaping came from family members. In addition, 43.9% acknowledged using both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
Surachete Phosaeng, deputy secretary-general of the Thailand Youth Institute, referenced a different survey that showed 79.3% of 300 young people jailed for drug use at juvenile practice and training centers around the country were e-cigarette users and 95.4% of them were smokers. In the latter category, daily usage was reported by 30.5%.
The Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center emphasized that because teenagers’ bodies are still developing, they may experience health problems that manifest more quickly and severely than those that affect adults. Public health officials have raised alarm about the issue and urged young people to defy peer pressure and abstain from using any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
