Stakeholder’s Assessment of the Awareness and Effectiveness of Smoke-free Law in Thailand

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

2 Center of Excellence on Environmental Health and Toxicology, Bangkok, Thailand

3 Tobacco Control Research and Knowledge Management Center, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

4 International Health Policy Programme, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

Background
This 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.

 
Methods
Stakeholder 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.

 
Results
The 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.

 
Conclusion
This 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.

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History

  • Receive Date: 29 October 2017
  • Revise Date: 31 March 2018
  • Accept Date: 12 May 2018
  • First Publish Date: 01 October 2018

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