Every 31 May is World No Tobacco Day. The WHO declared it in 1988 — tobacco is among the world’s leading preventable causes of death and illness.
In Thailand, lung cancer kills about 40 people daily, with over 17,000 new cases per year — every number is “preventable.” Secondhand smoke is equally alarming: family, coworkers, and bystanders inhale it involuntarily.
But we are not standing still. Thailand has steadily advanced tobacco control — from plain packaging with graphic warnings, minimum-age laws, to public campaigns.
Another hope: the younger generation. The Salaya NoNicGen project by Mahidol University and ThaiHealth mobilizes medical students to build youth immunity against e-cigarettes. In 2026, the slogan “Stop Youth from Drugs — Nicotine Addiction Leads to Poverty and Death” protects the next generation.
If you or someone close is thinking of quitting, you are not alone. Quitline 1600 offers free counseling, and public health agencies at all levels have cessation services ready.
Every quit attempt reclaims your body’s freedom — freedom to breathe fully, live nicotine-free, and stay longer with loved ones. Start today, 31 May. Share with someone you care about.
Sources: WHO, Department of Disease Control, Mahidol University