A network of 12 children’s and family’s rights groups, tobacco, alcohol and cannabis research institutes have disclosed results of their opinion poll, which shows that the majority of respondents disagree with political parties’ policies for liberalisation of alcohol, e-cigarettes, cannabis and gambling.

Professor Dr. Sawitri Assanangkornchai, director of the Centre of Alcohol Statistics, said today (Tuesday) that a survey of people aged over 18 across the country shows that 56.1% of the respondents oppose the decriminalisation of cannabis, while over half disagree with the household use of cannabis and the growing of cannabis in the backyard.

55.5% of the respondents also disagree with the removal of the restriction on the sale of alcohol during specific hours and more than half of alcohol drinkers oppose the proposal to liberalise alchol production.

Meanwhile, Assist Professor Dr. Wit Kasemsap, director of the Tobacco Control, Research and Knowledge Management Centre (TRC), said that an opinion poll on proposed legalisation of e-cigarettes shows that 47% of the respondents agree that such proposal is more harmful than useful to the public, while only 6.5% believe it will be useful.

53% of e-cigarette users tend to develop depression and are susceptible to developing cancer, lung diseases and asthma.

Deputy Secretary General of the Children and Youth Council of Thailand, Alfan Doloh, said that alcohol, e-cigarettes, online gambling and casinos are activities which are harmful to the physical and mental health of the young and tend to cause social and family problems.

He called on political parties to propose policies which are beneficial to youth, rather than policies which will drive them into vice and undermine their physical and mental health.