The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Prohibition of selling cigarettes to underage youth is an important tobacco control law in Thailand. One of the findings from the recent GYTS in Thailand indicated that 30% of youth in Bangkok who bought cigarette in stores were not refused cigarettes because of their age. As a collaborating effort among Ministry of Public Health (Department of Diseases Control), Royal Thai Army (Military Reserve Department), and Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University (Department of Health Education & Behavioural Sciences), with funding from Thai Health Promotion Foundation, the youth who attended basic military reserve training program were being educated about tobacco control laws and health, as a pilot program. After 4 pilot groups, most of the feedback from each youth group were highly positive. They demonstrated understanding of the tobacco control laws, and the danger of cigarette smoking on health. More than that, the majority of the youth who attended the pilot program expressed satisfaction and appreciation on the innovative education program provided by the faculty members from Mahidol University. They indicated that they would like to have this pilot program conducted at their schools, so their peers would be educated on the tobacco control laws and understand the danger of smoking and health. The innovative education program indicated that young people appreciate the information of tobacco control laws and the danger of smoking, if we could find the right approach of communication with them.