Abstract
The use of legal process to protect and prevent the Thai youth from easily accessing to tobacco is one
of the important missions at the national level. In the past, some facts indicate failure. This article aims to
review the weakness and to present proposals for reform the laws for restriction of access to tobacco
among youth in Thailand. Using the literature review of research and article related to both domestic and
foreign that published or produced since 1990 to 2015 in databases, Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group,
PubMed, Thailist and google.This study found that Thailand needed to reform limiting youth access to tobacco laws on two
issues. First) the content of the law is not up to date with the new marketing strategy of the tobacco
companies and sale behavior of tobacco retailer, and second) the law enforcement is ineffective. Two
reforms related to tobacco laws are proposed. First, amendments of 2 Acts: 1.1) The Tobacco Production
Control Act B.E. 2535: (1) changing the definition of the term “advertisement” and issuing additional laws
on prohibiting all types of indirect advertisement of tobacco, (2) prohibiting sales of individual cigarette
or in small packages, (3) demanding plain packaging practice of tobacco product, and (4) identifying
provincial authority to control tobacco at provincial level. 1.2) The Tobacco Act B.E. 2509: to limit the
number and location of the tobacco retailers in the community and near schools. Second, strengthen law
enforcement: 2.1) developing the database of tobacco retailers, 2.2) developing the measures that enforce
law more effectively, and 2.3) developing the community participation in solving the problem of easy
access to tobacco among the youth.
