การบังคับใช้กฎหมายคุ้มครองสุขภาพของผู้ไม่สูบบุหรี่ในสถานที่สาธารณะ

Abstract

Law enforcement on the non-smoker's health protection act in public places. The objective of this research were : 1) to study outcomes from enforcing msoking bans in every indoor public place 2) to study the perception of stakeholders and concerned officials responsible for enforcing anti-smoking law. This research employed questionnaire, interview and observation forms to collect data from 107 key informants in 37 locations inside Bangkok Metropolis, consisting of 64 selected samples, and preople running errands in the public places. Another 35 informants selected from those working outdoor in the open areas, business entrepreneurs and stores owners, including 8 official workers in the public places. 

The findings revealed that 62.50 percent of people and those running errands in the public places perceived regulations or health protection measures for non-smokers. All of them or 100 percent followed anti-smoke law diligently, whereas only  43.75 percent were aware of public places as non-smoking areas. As for enforcing anti-smoking law, so far none had been apprehended or fined. Therefore, the anti-smoking law should be strictly enforced, especially in the public places. For those working in the public places, business entrepreneurs, stores owners, 77.14 percent of them were well aware and perceived regulations or health protection measures for non-smokers. Total 91-43 percent had known about smoke-free areas, and 81.25 mostly learned from the advertised billboards. Regarding the impacts from enforcing law, it was found that smoking bans had not been seriously enforced. Therefore, anti- smoking law should be the main focus with serious enforcement and heavy penalties on those breaking the law. As for the responsible officers, all of them or 100 percent perceived regulations or health protection measures for non-smokers. For enforcing anti-smoking law, the findings revealed that some officers had practiced certain rules, such as self-warning, informing the caretakers of public places to strictly apply the warnings. The majority of officers had never receieved any complaint on smoking in the prohibited areas. For those who receieved complaints earlier, they had kept the record and passed the case to the officers in charge. On the impacts, problems or obstacles from enforcing anti smoking law, the findings revealed that most officers in charge had no absolute authority to pass the judgment. All they can do is to file petitions against violators so that the polic officer could proceed with the case. In addition, there was inadequate public relations budget to disseminate true knowledge because the problems were viewed as insignificance. As for the effectiveness in enforcing anti-smoking law, since the law itself had been amended quite often, the officers in charge should be well trained on updated information, so the public could be correctly informed on regular basis as well as making the anti-smoking law strictly enforceable.