@article { author = {Kungskulniti, Nipapun and Pitayarangsarit, Siriwan and Hamann, Stephen}, title = {Stakeholder’s Assessment of the Awareness and Effectiveness of Smoke-free Law in Thailand}, journal = {International Journal of Health Policy and Management}, volume = {7}, number = {10}, pages = {919-922}, year = {2018}, publisher = {Kerman University of Medical Sciences}, issn = {2322-5939}, eissn = {2322-5939}, doi = {10.15171/ijhpm.2018.47}, abstract = {BackgroundThis study reports stakeholders’ ratings, and perceived gaps in World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 8 implementation in Thailand viewed against WHO’s Guidelines for Article 8 and to inform action in preparing the 2017 Tobacco Product Control Act. MethodsStakeholder ratings of Guideline provisions of Article 8 on a three-tiered scale of implementation from understanding to effectiveness and efficiency were used to identify gaps in enforcement and compliance important to success in meeting Article 8 goals. This stakeholder assessment occurred through a stakeholder meeting of 55 stakeholders in Bangkok, Thailand in June 2016. ResultsThe average of all assessment ratings by stakeholders on an ascending 0-3 scale had a mean score of 1.67, which means the level of implementation for Article 8 in Thailand was rated less than effective for enforcement. The assessment shows that the public understanding of smoke-free principles is also poor at a mean of 1.28, that there is incomplete effectiveness of smoke-free measures with a mean of 1.75, and only a general effectiveness that smoke-free protections are adequately covering most places with a mean of 1.98. More needs to be done to make all places compliant through enforcement efforts rated with a mean of only 1, and that more is necessary for protection from tobacco-smoke exposure in other public places and in private vehicles with mean ratings of 1.71 and 1.14. ConclusionThis stakeholder approach using a three-tiered rating scale found that the implementation of Article 8 in Thailand is still lacking. With this approach, stakeholders identified critical issues needing improvement and informed changes in the then-proposed Tobacco Product Control Act which later was adopted in 2017.}, keywords = {WHO,FCTC,Article 8,Stakeholders,Thailand}, url = {https://www.ijhpm.com/article_3503.html}, eprint = {https://www.ijhpm.com/article_3503_39658ba6e88225eea3ed0301e2c88a57.pdf} }