Thailand Set to Confirm Ban on E-Cigarettes, Vapes

Thailand’s government has rejected an initiative to legalize and regulate nicotine vaping products, opting, instead, to reconfirm the country’s ban on sales and imports of e-cigarettes, according to Vaping360.

Thailand’s ban has been in place since 2014.

The National Tobacco Products Control Committee upheld the ban in a meeting last week, and Public Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Kiattiphum Wongrajit supports the decision. The decision will go to the cabinet for formal approval, and the cabinet is not expected to overrule the decision.

Thailand’s tobacco committee has stated that the country should uphold the ban to prevent cigarette addiction by children and adolescents.

Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn has urged the government to end its ban on vapes, which he believes offer a low-risk alternative for smokers. As recently as January, he had planned to set up a working group to study the issue and consider public opinion.