Thai Medical Students Petition Parliament to Maintain E-Cigarette Ban

On October 22, 2026, at Parliament, MP Sakoltee Phattiyakul, Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party and Chair of the House Committee on Public Health, received a petition from representatives of the Medical Students' Federation of Thailand along with medical student clubs and military medical cadets from 29 institutions nationwide. They submitted the letter and stated their position urging Parliament and the government to maintain laws banning the import and sale of e-cigarettes and new tobacco products.

Federation representatives said the latest 2025 National Health Survey revealed a deeply worrying trend: e-cigarette use among youth aged 10–19 more than doubled from 200,000 to 420,000 users. Most alarming, primary school children as young as seven are now experimenting with vaping. Currently, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTP), and nicotine pouches — all containing highly addictive nicotine — are spreading rapidly. These products are marketed with deceptive claims of being safer than cigarettes, flavored and packaged to attract children, and sold easily online.

The federation added that medical students, as future healthcare providers who will treat smoking-related diseases, joined with communication clubs and partner networks to gather over 633,224 signatures from Thais opposing e-cigarettes. They declared two clear demands: 1) Oppose repeal of import and sales bans, demanding strict legal prohibition of e-cigarettes, HTPs, and nicotine pouches; 2) Oppose legislative review to open import channels, urging the committee and authorities to prioritize youth health impacts and not legitimize these products through taxation or regulation.

MP Sakoltee affirmed he would present the students' proposals, statistics, and positions to the committee to find ways to protect the health of Thai youth and society.