WHO supports Thailand's fight against e-cigarettes

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reaffirmed its support for Thailand's ban on the importation and sale of e-cigarettes. Although e-cigarettes are not included as a tobacco product in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which Thailand acceded to in 2003,[1], they have increasingly been the subject of discussions and recommendations since the 2010s.

WHO supports Thailand's anti-vaping policy

According to Dr. Olivia Nieveras, a public health specialist with the WHO in Thailand, Thai policies are consistent with available scientific evidence on the harmful effects of vaping products.

She called for the implementation of Article 5.3 of the FCTC, which aims to protect public health policies from the commercial interests of the tobacco industry. On World No Tobacco Day, celebrated on May 31, the WHO highlighted the theme "Unveiling the Appeal: Exposing the Tactics of the Tobacco and Nicotine Industry" to raise awareness of the marketing strategies used to make these products more appealing.

The rise of vaping among young people is worrying the country despite an ambitious health policy

On the 23rd^e At the National Forum on Health and Tobacco Control, organized in Bangkok by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and the Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center (TRC), several experts expressed concern about the growing influence of the vaping industry.

Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit, President of the Action for Health and Tobacco Foundation, emphasized that the commercial and political influence of e-cigarette companies complicates the implementation of Article 5.3 in some countries. He noted that the WHO recommends excluding tobacco industry representatives from decision-making bodies related to e-cigarette regulation.

According to Dr. Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, an executive at ThaiHealth, e-cigarette manufacturers have adapted their strategy by presenting their products as a more acceptable and less harmful alternative to traditional tobacco, making them particularly attractive to young people.

A survey conducted by ThaiHealth, the Office of the Basic Education Commission, and the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) of 124,606 students from 1,699 primary and secondary schools across the country found that 25,133 students had tried e-cigarettes, 22,133 had friends who vaped, and 20,133 lived in communities where vaping was common.

ThaiHealth has therefore launched a "denormalization" initiative aimed at providing objective information about vaping, in the hope of changing behavior. The goal is to move from a logic of 'I can't smoke' to that of 'I don't want to smoke'. " concluded Dr. Pongthep.

By April 2025, Thailand had already strongly committed to enforcing the ban on e-cigarettes by stepping up its crackdown on crimes committed by vapers, in addition to smugglers and distributors. In doing so, sales and the number of e-cigarette users have fallen by more than 80%.

Although Thailand has adopted one of the most restrictive legal frameworks in the world regarding vaping, similar to Singapore or Myanmar, this does not prevent young Thais from diverting e-cigarettes to vaping cannabis oil and the online sale of vaping products from flourishing.

Furthermore, Thailand, a pioneer in tobacco control in Southeast Asia, was the first Asian country to ban the display of tobacco products at the point of sale in 2005, and to impose plain cigarette packaging, along with Singapore and soon Laos.[2].

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[1]Yonpiam Chairith, WHO Supports Thailand's E-cigarette Crackdown, Bangkok Post, published August 5, 2025, accessed August 6, 2025

[2]Tobacco-free generation, Tobacco advertising: uneven progress in Southeast Asia, published May 6, 2025, accessed August 6, 2025

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