But health experts warned it would be a long and tricky road before comprehensive legislation was passed - if their experience fighting cigarette producers to get similar laws to control tobacco was any guide. "Whatever measure they [alcohol companies] oppose always seems to work," said Prof Prakit Vateesatokij, a leading anti-smoking campaigner who was speaking at the 2nd Conference on Alcohol Consumption and Related Problems at Bangkok's Rama Gardens Hotel.

Dr Samarn Futrakul, architect of the Alcohol Control Bill, said more than half of six major measures recommended by the World Bank as effective means to curb alcohol abuse worldwide needed to be implemented by the new law.

The bill, which includes aspects such as a total ban on alcohol advertising, was recently approved in principle by the Cabinet. It is now being considered by the Council of State.

"It's a crisis now. More Thais are becoming drinkers and the national consumption rate for alcohol continues to rise," said Prof Dr Vithoon Eungprabhant, who is an expert in health law.

"If we cannot curb the trend, alcohol-related problems will rise," he said, adding that two decades ago beer was scarce in the provinces, but now it was the most popular alcoholic drink.

"It's important to get the bill passed into law within the tenure of this [interim] government - otherwise, it will never become law under an elected government," Vithoon said.

Cigarette sales had gone down considerably since the Tobacco Control Act took effect, whereas alcohol consumption continued to rise in the absence of effective legislative measures, Prakit said.

"Be warned, the road of this legislation is full of lobbying and dirty tactics to abort or, at the very least, disable the proposed bill," he said. Efforts to get laws to control alcohol abuse had been pushed for 14 years - with no success.

Official assessments rate alcohol the second highest public health risk after unsafe sex, and that did not include the influence of alcohol in encouraging people to have unprotected sex, said Dr Bundit Sornpaisal, from the Centre for Alcohol Studies.

Arthit Khwankhom

 The Nation