A House committee has advocated tough action to crack down on e-cigarettes over fears about their continued use among schoolchildren.
Opas Almaseri, spokesman of the House standing committee on the regulation of e-cigarettes, said the panel is alarmed by news reports of e-cigarettes targeting young people.
E-cigarettes, which are banned in Thailand, are smuggled from overseas in packaging similar to those used for candy to evade parents' attention.
"It's very concerning. They are being deceptively marketed as relatable items, and youngsters might think they are unharmful," he said.
While Mr Opas acknowledges the hard work carried out by law enforcement authorities to stamp out e-cigarettes, the devices remain widely available.
"We needed more effective control measures to close any legal gaps to protect consumers, especially children and teenagers," he said.
To help prevent the spread of e-cigarettes among children, he said that the ad hoc committee proposed its suggestions on control measures, which include a stricter ban on e-cigarettes and tighter legal controls over e-cigarette importation.
The House committee spokesman said children and young people deserve better protection against e-cigarettes and their harmful effects.
Mr Opas also commended the Customs Department for taking a proactive approach to intercept the smuggling of e-cigarettes.
From October last year to last month, at least 28 million baht worth of contraband e-cigarettes and barakus were seized by customs officials.
