Thai Health Officials wants smoking to be banned in residential buildings

Health officials have said the laws in Thailand should ban smoking in residential buildings such as condominiums, hotels, and dormitories.

To protect residents from second-hand smoke and above all children. Paisan Limsathit from the Health Laws and Ethics Centre at Thamassat University, said residential buildings be totally no-smoking areas.

The law only bans smoking in public areas, corridors, and lobbies. The National Health Foundation organized the seminar and shared their findings of a Thammasat University study on smoking in condominium buildings conducted this year.

1,204 people surveyed about 15% said they were smokers. Nearly half the smokers 45% said they usually smoked their cigarettes on their condo balconies. Respondents voted in favor (89%) of a total smoking ban on condo premises.

Non-smokers are vulnerable to passive smoking because it can seep through cracks or be blown around by air vandalization.

According to a US study banning smoking in residential buildings could cut maintenance costs by nearly 5 billion baht protecting the health of residents and reducing the risk of fires.

The fine for smoking in public places starts at 2,000 baht, rising to a potential 100,000 baht per year.

Source: Chiang Rai Times

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