Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered officials to intensify the suppression of e-cigarettes and amend the law to toughen punishments amid a teen vaping crisis and suspected officials’ corruption in favour of the illicit business.
The order followed a briefing on e-cigarette use nationwide and its negative impacts on young people, Government spokesman Jirayu Huangsub said after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The stepped-up response is also a response to an outpouring of public concern over the case of three Buri Ram schoolgirls who have been in hospital for a week with severe lung complications caused by vaping.
The briefing was told about the arrests of vendors and the seizure of more than 3,000 items of e-cigarettes and related products in areas under the jurisdiction of the Khannayao and Khok Khram police stations in Bangkok on Sunday.
The huge seizure and the negative impacts of vaping on young children, and the rise of cheap “toy pod” products easily available in shops near schools, showed that e-cigarettes were widespread among young people and police were not doing enough to control the products, Mr Jirayu said.
The prime minister had earlier called for a crackdown on the illegal import and sale of vaping products but it had not been effective and the problem was escalating, he said.
“The problem has grown to the degree that mixtures of strong narcotics are being made for abuse with e-cigarettes … and the minimum age of abusers has been lower than 14 years,” Mr Jirayu said.
Ms Paetongtarn ordered all organisations concerned to further intensify suppression, expand arrests and work out long-term and effective solutions, the spokesman said.
“The organisations must speed up amendments to the law to set clear and harsher penalties. They must report the progress to the prime minister in 15 days,” Mr Jirayu said.
According to the spokesman, a team studying the vaping situation in the country found that products are available at thousands of shops on streets in major cities and tourist provinces, and their market value is estimated at over 5 billion baht a year.
Suppression of e-cigarettes has been inadequate or non-existent in many provinces, where officials have been ignoring the well-being of young people, said Mr Jirayu.
He pointed to the fact that vaping materials were openly available at shops near schools, suggesting that some officials were taking bribes to turn a blind eye.
