12 replies to this topic

[WannaGo]

This was the last paragraph of a story I was reading about anti-tobacco protests in Bangkok...does this seem credible to you guys who live there?

Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nop-amornbodi said Thailand has 14 million smokers, according to official statistics. The data showed that nearly 46 per cent of men and 3.1 per cent of women were smokers. However, 60 per cent of smokers tend to quit smoking and about 4.6 million Thai smokers have stopped smoking.

[rucus7]

I wonder how those statistics are gathered. I would think the per cent of Thai male smokers to be higher.

[Wino]

It seems to me a lot of Thai males smoke. Not sure if it is 50% but it is many. Tattoos, smoking and drinking seems to be the manly thing to do.

[WannaGo]

rucus7, on 12 November 2009 - 01:00 PM, said:

I wonder how those statistics are gathered. I would think the per cent of Thai male smokers to be higher.

Man, I wonder what the lung cancer rate is in the country.

[WannaGo]

Wow...turns out the average life expectancy is 70...only about 7 years less than in the US.

[lvdkeyes]

I'll take the 7 years, happily.

[Wino]

Surprisingly tobacco use in the US has risen recently, after many years of decline. I believe smokers are about 20% in the US.

[WannaGo]

Wino, on 14 November 2009 - 12:18 PM, said:

Surprisingly tobacco use in the US has risen recently, after many years of decline. I believe smokers are about 20% in the US.

How recently are you talking about? The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health by the Department of Health and Human Services had this:

The rate of current use of any tobacco product among persons aged 12 or older decreased from 29.6 percent in 2006 to 28.6 percent in 2007, but the rates of current use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and pipe tobacco did not change significantly over that period. Between 2002 and 2007, past month use of any tobacco product decreased from 30.4 to 28.6 percent, and past month cigarette use declined from 26.0 to 24.2 percent. Rates of past month use of cigars, smokeless tobacco, and pipe tobacco were similar in 2002 and 2007.

[Wino]

I did not find the article I originally saw, but here is a different one stating the increase.



“The report says the percentage of American smokers rose from 19.8 percent in 2007 to 20.6 percent in 2008.”



http://www.modernmed...ategoryId=40144

[nyoen]

I think smoking doesn't good for health at all...

[Wino]

Definitely smoking is no good for your health. Doctors now know smoking plays a big role in heart disease and cancer. I feel sorry for the youth of the third world. Smoking is still seen as manly and cool.

[lvdkeyes]

Does anyone here know the incidence of heart disease and cancer in Thailand as compared to US, UK or other western countries?

[Wino]

I have no idea, but would suspect it high. I believe someone stated the life expectancy was 7 years less in Thialand compared to the US.