Concerns about “secondhand smoke”

The new ban on smoking in all public spaces, including places of entertainment, offices, restaurants, bars and pubs, and also open air market venues, will be immediately and strictly enforced, according to Chumporn Saengmanee, the permanent secretary of state for Chiang Mai province.

This extended version of the original law which was published in November last year, was announced on February 11, and took effect here on February 17. Penalties for disobeying stand at 2,000 baht per violation. There is some concern about notification of the new law to short-term tourists in the area; however, many businesses whose customers may be affected seem to now be providing specific smoking areas. Most foreign residents and tourists are believed to be cooperating with the new law.

The Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office has reported that a large number of patients in the area suffer from lung disease, many of whom are smokers. This, combined with the effects on health of pollution and burning, has encouraged the enforcement of the new law. It has also been reported that children as young as 13 years of age have started smoking, causing concern amongst medical professionals about the long-term effects on health.