Smoking is injurious to health and that’s almost a universally known fact!  Passive smoking kills almost 600,000 people worldwide every year, states WHO study. 60% of these are children who are exposed to smoke inside their own house.
Thailand has taken a step to curb the number of such deaths by implementing a law that bans smoking inside the house. The law that comes under the Family Protection and Development Promotion Act was initiated by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and was announced in the Royal Gazette on May 22, 2019.
Owing to the hazardous effects of smoke on people residing inside the house, indoor smoking will be considered equivalent to domestic violence as per the new law.
Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development chief Lertpanya Booranabundit earlier elaborated on the topic during the 18th National Conference on Tobacco and Lung Health held in Bangkok in May 2019.
“If it can be proved that the health problems of family members stem from second- or third-hand smoke at home, it can lead to two court trials: one in Criminal Court for ‘domestic assault’ via smoke and the other at the Central Juvenile and Family Court. This could lead to a court injunction to protect the health of family members, with the smoker being sent to a rehabilitation center to kick the habit,” he had said.
Smoking addiction leads to aggression ending up in ‘emotional and physical violence‘ ruining the family relationships, reports The Post. The offenders of the new law may be required to appear in two courts, including the Criminal Court and the Central Juvenile and Family Court. If convicted, the person will be ordered to get treated and de-addicted from smoking.
The center for research and knowledge management for tobacco control, at the Faculty of Medical Science of Mahidol University, suggests that there are about 4.9 million households where at least one or more family members smoke. It also states that around 10.3 million people have unwillingly become passive smokers because of other smokers in the family.
The new law aims to create a healthy environment for children and other members of a family inside the house. Do you think a similar law should be enforced in other countries too, including India? Do share your thoughts with us!