[Intl-tobacco] Tobacco companies threaten to sue Thai health ministry

[Robert Weissman]

  Tobacco companies threaten to sue Thai health ministry

AFP

/Thu Aug 4, 1:58 AM ET/

Thailand's tobacco monopoly and three multi-national firms are
threatening to sue Thailand's health ministry over attempts to ban
cigarette displays at points of sale such as convenience stores, local
media reports.

The companies argue that the ban, due to come into effect September 24,
deprives them of their right to display their products, which are bought
by nearly 40 percent of Thai men, according to the Nation newspaper.

"This ban will make it difficult for us to check the authenticity of
products and it will be harder for the tax authorities to verify tax
collection," Thailand Tobacco Monopoly deputy director Prapatsorn
Pongpanpisand told the English-language daily.

The tobacco monopoly, distributor of 20 local brands, has for the first
time joined forces with Philip Morris (Thailand), British American
Tobacco (Thailand) and Japan-based JT International to fight the ban,
which they said was based on unsubstantiated research and decided
without their consultation.

"The heart of this issue is to stop children from smoking, but this ban
will not prevent that," Philip Morris general manager Paul Riley was
quoted as saying.

The companies argued a better way to discourage youths from smoking, a
key plank in the government's health drive, would be to limit display
space to one pack per brand and enforce existing rules that include
tough penalties for retailers who sell cigarettes to minors.

Thailand, with a population of 64 million, has 9.6 million smokers,
according to the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, an independent agency
set up by the government.

Thirty-nine percent of Thai males aged 15 or older smoke, down from 60
percent 20 years ago.