Minister reaffirms support for vaping

Minister reaffirms support for vaping

Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn.
Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn.

Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said on Friday he would continue efforts to legalise e-cigarettes, which were safer than tobacco and would bring in added tax revenue.

He confirmed his position when he met a group of people campaigning for legalisation at his ministry on Friday.

Mr Chaiwut said legalisation of e-cigarettes would enable the country to tax sales and would provide people who found themselves unable to quit smoking with a safer option.

He would form a working group to study legalisation and invite people to sign in support of a request next month that the Constitutional Court rule if the ban on imports of e-cigarettes violated people's rights, especially the right to have access to less dangerous products.

Later, there would be forums and seminars to expand public knowledge about e-cigarettes, Mr Chaiwut said.

The minister was insistent he had no vested interest in legalising vaping.

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