Taxes on shisha and electric cigarettes may soon be introduced, according to officials at the Ministry of Finance.
New rules have been expected for the smoking alternatives, which have become widely popular in recent years, after calls for restricted use came from health officials and junta chief Gen. Prayuth Chanocha.
Neither product is addressed by the law.
Shisha, also known as baragu, is popular in cities and with university students, particularly in nightclubs and restaurants. Last month Gen. Prayuth singled out shisha in a public address and vowed to pull the business licenses of any place it was sold.
Meanwhile that’s seem to have had little effect on shisha-smokers, who can still be regularly found puffing away at the usual locations. The popularity of e-cigarettes prompted discussion of a similar ban.
However now amendments to the Tobacco Act of 1996 are being discussed which would legalize both while introducing regulation and taxation, according to Khaosod English.
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Photo: Alex Semenzato
