1st. of June, 2010, is D-Day to slash firms, shops advertising illegal alcohol drinks, including posters, banners, flags, internet, TV.

In Soi Aree, Paholyothin Road, Bangkok, Office of the Alcohol Beverage and Tobacco Control Committee, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Royal Thai Police, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), and Office of Campaign Networks for Alcohol Abstention, opened their campaign to create awareness among people and shops, not to sell nor consume all types of alcoholic drinks on the Universal Visakha Bucha Day, on Friday 28th of May, 2010. According to the announcement of the Ministry of Public Health, on 31st June 2009, sales of all types of alcoholic drinks are forbidden on Makha Bucha Day, Asarnha Bucha Day):, Visakha Bucha Day, and Bhuddist Lent Day. Nowadays, public health officials, together with police in all provinces are keeping a close watch on law breakers. Wrong doers are liable to 6 months imprisonment and/or a fine of not more than 10,000 baht.

Dr. Punsiri Kullanardsiri, Deputy Minister of Public Health, said Buddhism is against production of alcohol drinks which bring about other social problems, such as traffic accidents, causing losses of life or physical disabilities. Alcohol consumption is also harmful to health, causing cirrhosis, liver cancer, and family quarrellings. The Ministry of Public Health will resort to building awareness of people to, stop, reduce, and give up alcohol consumption. The ministry will enforce law on alcohol producers and traders by working closely with other organizations campaigning for alcohol abstention throughout the country. Companies, shops, throughout the country, that advertise illegal alcohol drinks on posters, vinyl, banners, and on signs outside restaurants, will be prosecuted. Since most offenders are beer companies, Office of the Alcohol Beverage and Tobacco Control Committee, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health will gather all evidences of wrongdoing and dispatch police officers to arrest law offenders for prosecution in court.

According to the latest survey in 2007, more than 51 million people over the age of 15 consumed alcohol. The National Bureau of Statistics found that almost 15 million people or 29% of the population, consumed alcohol. Most alcohol consumers were found in Thailand’s 10 Northern provinces. 54% of drinkers were in Phayao, 50% lived in Prae, 48% in Chiangrai, Nan 48%, Nongbualumpoo 43%, Mukdaharn 42.6%, Konkaen 42%, Phitsanulok 41%, Petchaboon 40%, and Kampaengpetch 39.8%. For the 15-19 year old age group, there were more than 60,000 of them living in 10 provinces. 34.2% lived in Mukdaharn, 27.7% in Chiangrai, 25.3% in Loey, 25.1% in Amnatcharoen, 24.2% in Nongbualumpoo, 24% in Kampaengpetch, 23.4% in Prae, 23.1% in Phayao, 22.6% in Phitsanulok, and 22.2% in Yasothorn.

Source: Thai Health Promotion Foundation