FEATURE
THE VAPE CRUSADER
A pro-vaping Thai politician is criticized at home , but praised around the world for his science-backed stance on tobacco harm reduction .
Support for the minister has gone global and this should be a massive wake-up call for
Thailand ’ s government .
Words : Jordan Millar
A senior minister in the Thai government is facing a barrage of criticism for daring to speak up in support of vaping . With 10 million smokers in Thailand , digital economy minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn questioned whether e-cigarettes could be the solution to the nation ’ s smoking epidemic . However , this flew in the face of the country ’ s anti-vaping stance , with politicians and health bodies condemning the reduced risk alternative .
Even the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand joined the chorus of critics , calling for Chaiwut to be hit with an official caution . But the pro-vaping minister doesn ’ t stand alone , with consumers and experts from around the globe rallying behind him . Harm reduction advocate Nancy Loucas commended his campaign to overturn Thailand ’ s strict vape regulations , urging other government officials to follow suit .
She said : “ What rock have these people been living under ? The minister deserves a medal , not mockery . The government has failed to adopt effective policies and programmes that will significantly reduce the country ’ s sky-high national smoking problem . “ If it wants to save lives , it needs to urgently rethink its ban on vaping product sales .” She stressed that ‘ a decade of research ’ has proven vaping to be 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes and that countries which adopt progressive regulations see a far greater drop in smoking rates . But groups like the National Alliance for a Tobacco-Free Thailand ( NATFT ) claim vaping will only exacerbate the country ’ s public health crisis .
Now armed with mountains of evidence – and an international backing – Chaiwut is exploring how legalising vaping could be the key to saving millions of lives .
Nancy Loucas said : “ He is on the side of science and his calls have exposed the fact that Thailand has fallen well behind when it comes to adopting effective tobacco harm reduction policies . “ Support for the minister has gone global and this should be a massive wake-up call for Thailand ’ s government .”
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