cigarettes.Since there were differe

cigarettes.
Since there were differences noted in rural areas and
for those with lower education and income, it may be
that more focused education programs should be developed focusing on RYO smoking. Enhancement of health
education programs with information on the harmful
effects of both types of cigarettes may provide much
needed information for smokers.
There are some limitations that should be noted about
this survey. Questions on reasons for use of RYO were
not included and, therefore, the explanations about economic and cultural facts are speculative. Given that smoking among women does not appear to be acceptable, the
estimate of prevalence for women may be subject to some
misreporting. Some of the strengths include the rigorous
procedures for sampling and interviewing used in GATS
Thailand and the high response rate.
Thailand has implemented comprehensive tobacco
control interventions, including educational campaigns in
the media, legislation to ban smoking in public places,
increases in the cigarette excise tax, bans on advertising,
and the use of a pictorial warning labels on manufactured
cigarettes. Taken together, these legislative measures may
have changed social norms and perceptions about tobacco
use in Thailand. Meanwhile, lack of comparable policies in
the control of RYO cigarettes may be playing a role in the
overall prevalence of smoking in Thailand, diluting the
success of existing programs.