Medical students from 29 institutions oppose easing e-cigarette and HTP restrictions

Medical students from 29 institutions have urged a parliamentary committee to keep Thailand’s bans on importing and selling e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products, saying some Thai children start vaping as young as 7.

On 22 October, Sakoltee Phattiyakul, a Democrat Party MP and chairman of the House Public Health Committee, received a petition from representatives of the Medical Students’ Federation of Thailand, medical student clubs and military medical students from 29 institutions nationwide.

The students called on Parliament and the government to retain the bans on importing and selling e-cigarettes and new tobacco products.

A federation representative cited Thailand’s latest national health survey, conducted in 2025, which found that the number of e-cigarette users aged 10–19 had more than doubled, from 200,000 to 420,000. The representative said primary-school children had been found experimenting with e-cigarettes from the age of 7.

E-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs) and nicotine pouches contain nicotine, which can cause severe addiction, the representative said. The products are marketed with misleading claims that they are safer than conventional cigarettes, while their flavours, scents and colourful designs appeal to children. They are also easy to buy online, the representative added.

Medical students, who will treat patients with tobacco-related diseases in the future, worked with student groups and partner organisations to collect more than 633,224 signatures from people opposed to e-cigarettes, the representative said.

The students outlined two demands: that the bans on importing and selling e-cigarettes, HTPs and nicotine pouches remain in force; and that lawmakers reject any review that could open the way to imports, taxation or legalisation of the products. They urged the committee and other officials to put the health of young people first.

Sakoltee said he would bring the students’ proposals, statistics and position to the committee for consideration as it looks for ways to protect young people’s health and the wider public.