Four Thais die every hour

Smoking-related diseases have been killing more than four Thais each hour, according to Thailand's National Quitline Centre.

The centre operates more than 12 hours a day to help smokers kick their unhealthy habit.

"Just dial 1600 and we will be ready to help," the centre's director Dr Jintana Yunibhand said yesterday.

The centre hopes to assist at least 2,000 people give up smoking each month. It gets phone calls from 7.30am to 8pm on weekdays.

During the first four months this year, some 2,383 smokers sought help at the centre. Some 82 per cent were men.

"The youngest was just nine years old while the oldest was 82," Jintana said.

She said the heaviest users smoked 90 cigarettes a day.

"Concerns about their family, their health and their expense rank among key reasons why smokers want to stop puffing."

At a press conference yesterday, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the ministry hoped to reduce the number of male smokers by at least 1 per cent each year.

"At the same time, we hope the number of female smokers will not increase," he said.

Witthaya said a recent survey showed 5.1 million Thais had smoked cigarettes while 5.7 million others puffed shag tobacco (and roll their own).

"So, I plan to propose a tax hike on shag tobacco."

He said a cigarette packet was now subject to 85-per-cent tax rate while the tax rate for shag tobacco, used in pipes or by smokers who roll their own, was at less than 0.01 per cent.

Witthaya said he would soon sign a ministerial regulation that would require coloured pictorial warnings on cigarette packets. Currently, the warnings are in black and white. They illustrate adverse impacts of smoking.

"We are going to add another picture for the cigarette package. This new picture is about decaying feet. Smoking can hurt the feet too."

He said the new ministerial regulation would also carry the message saying "Stop Smoking, Call Quitline 1600" on packets.

Witthaya expected the new regulation to take effect by the end of the year.

"We will also try to make hospitals, temples and offices completely smoking-free by next year."

Witthaya outlined what the ministry plans to do to reduce smoking in the lead-up to World No Tobacco Day, which falls on May 31 every year (Sunday).