[Intl-tobacco] Thailand: House panel eyes teens, MPs, monks (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

House panel eyes teens, MPs, monks
Source: Bangkok Post, Wednesday, 5/31/00

A House panel wants strict enforcement of bans on the sale of cigarettes
to young teenagers, including controls on the installation of automatic
vending machines.

It will also target monks who smoke and push for no-smoking areas in the
parliament building.

"Many state officials, politicians and their aides smoke everywhere at the
parliament. They must change their behaviour," Ratana Anantanakin, deputy
spokeswoman for the committee for youth, women and the elderly said
yesterday.  Speaking after a meeting at the parliament to mark World
No-Tobacco Day, she said the panel would fight against the lenient
enforcement of non-smoking regulations.

"Despite the Tobacco Control Act of 1992, violations are rampant such as
smoking in state agencies and public places as well as cigarette sales to
teens under 18, who can still buy cigarettes from traders and even easier
from automatic vending machines at shopping centres and theatres," Ms
Ratan said.

The House committee would urge police to tackle traders who sell
cigarettes to minors and to strictly control the installation of automatic
cigarette vending machines.

It would ask the Education Ministry to launch anti-smoking campaigns in
schools and push for restricted smoking zones at the parliament to set a
good example for other state agencies.

"The Education Ministry should include smoking in the criteria for the
calculation of the grade point average students use in the entrance
examination process," Miss Ratana said.

Surinan Ariyawongsophon, an adviser to the panel, said smoking was popular
among the youth because they saw their teachers smoke in schools.

The Education Ministry should step up its anti-smoking campaign and
restrict the areas where teachers can smoke in school.

Monks who smoke were also violating a basic Buddhist precept and the
Sangha Council's rules, and the panel would ask the Religious Department
to discipline them.