Education Minister Akkhranon Rejects E-Cigarettes in Schools as Thai Youth Vaping Surges
Thailand's deputy education minister vowed stricter measures to eliminate e-cigarettes from schools as vaping among youth surged dramatically, with users aged 13-15 rising from 3.3% in 2015 to 17.6% by 2022.
On May 14, 2025, at the Ministry of Education, more than 60 representatives from various youth networks, anti-smoking family networks, social media networks, community risk-reduction networks, and child welfare organizations met with Deputy Education Minister Akkhranon Kankanitinun to address the e-cigarette crisis among students. The groups submitted four proposals to prevent and resolve the issue and launched a symbolic campaign declaring "Educational institutions must be 100% e-cigarette free."
Deputy Minister Akkhranon stated that e-cigarettes are illegal and emphasized that he has been instructed by Education Minister Prasert Chantharawong to prioritize this issue, as e-cigarettes pose a serious threat to children and youth. The Ministry will implement stricter measures, empowering school principals and teachers to work together in safeguarding young people and authorizing all schools to take decisive action. "I will not overlook this issue because it is illegal and damages health," Akkhranon said, adding that the ministry will coordinate with multiple sectors to address the problem.
Akkhranon stressed that educational institutions should be safe spaces for both mental health and physical wellbeing, free from e-cigarette involvement, and that the Public Health Ministry will establish clear guidelines for protecting all children and youth.
Thanicha Limpanich, chair of the Anti-Smoking Family Network, noted that e-cigarette use among Thai youth has surged rapidly. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey Thailand (GYTS) 2022, conducted by the Department of Disease Control, e-cigarette use among children aged 13-15 has increased 5.3 times, rising from 3.3% in 2015 to 17.6% in 2022. National Statistics Office data from 2024 shows that Thai e-cigarette users increased 11.44 times, from 78,142 people in 2021 to 900,459 in 2024.
Despite stricter government measures and clear legal penalties for possession and sales, a major weakness remains: online marketing continues to make e-cigarettes easily accessible to youth. Limpanich praised the Education Ministry's control measures, including awareness campaigns about e-cigarette dangers and legal consequences, but expressed concern about unclear authority for teachers when encountering e-cigarettes and the need for better implementation guidelines.
BodinChai Bunyapok, a representative of the Youth Risk-Reduction Network, noted that the network is using the occasion of World No Tobacco Day to push for further action.
