CityNews – Action on Smoking and Health Foundation Thailand (ASH) is inviting the public to join 2014 World No Tobacco Day anti-smoking campaign on May 31st. This year’s focus is “Raise Taxes on Tobacco.”
Professor Prakit Wateesatokkit, Secretary of the ASH Thailand, told reporters that the World Heath Organization (WHO) has established May 31st as World No Tobacco Day. For this year, the WHO is concentrating on raising taxes on tobacco. Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has come up with the Thai motto “Cigarettes: Higher Taxes, Lower Fatalities.” The MOPH also published “You Can be a Part of a Smoke Free Society” pamphlets to educate the public about the effects of smoking and secondhand smoking.
Professor Prakit also said that the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) wants to raise tobacco prices as their research shows that a 10% increase in price can reduce tobacco consumption by 4%. If the price is raised in developing countries, it could reduce the consumption by up to 8%. WHO is aiming to reduce smoking among people with lower incomes. Per WHO’s 2010 report, the governments of countries with lower GDPs stand to make 1.4 billion US dollars if they raise tobacco taxes by 50%.
Professor Prakit added that tobacco consuming kills approximately six million people each year, more than 600,000 of those by secondhand smoking. By 2030, the number of fatalities per year is projected to reach eight million people worldwide. 80% of those are from countries with lower GDPs.