Youth Activists in Ghost Costumes Storm Government House, Demand Action Against Risk Factors.

Bangkok: Youth dressed as ghosts invaded Government House, destroying e-cigarettes and various risk factors, and submitted 5 points to the Prime Minister to issue a policy to protect people from risk factors such as "e-cigarettes, online gambling, and the dangers of alcohol". The leaders of the Youth Risk Reduction Network, led by Ms. Supattra Phakaew and Ms. Petchlada Sattharattantra, along with the New Generation Children No Gambling Network, the Quality of Life Development Network, the Youth Health Promotion Network, and the Children, Youth, and Family Foundation, more than 50 people, dressed in fantasy ghost costumes to reflect the problems that occur with children and youth under the concept "The government must not deceive children, they will be haunted" to submit a letter to Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the Prime Minister, requesting that there be a policy to protect children and youth from risk factors such as alcoholic beverages, online gambling, e-cigarettes, drugs, marijuana, kratom, and accidents. At the end, the youths organized an activity to destroy e-cigarettes and all types of risk factors. Mr. Pansak Charoen, a mass expert from the Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister, was the one who received the letter on their behalf. According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Petchlada said that currently, many children and youth are involved with alcoholic beverages, online gambling, e-cigarettes, marijuana, kratom, accidents. From a survey by the National Statistical Office in 2021, it was found that new Thai drinkers aged 15-19 years were 30.8%, aged 20-24 years were 53.3%. The important factors that cause more drinking are advertising, marketing, sales promotion. In addition, it was found that youth aged 15-24 smoked 12.7%, down from 15.4% in 2017. Age 13-15, 6,700 people smoked. As for the survey on e-cigarette use in schools in 2022, it was found that 17.6% of youth aged 13-15 smoked, up 5.3 times from 3.3% in 2015. As for gambling problems, in 2023, 32.3% or 2.9 million people aged 15-25 ga mbled online. Of these, 1 in 4 were at risk of gambling addiction, 740,000, and were at risk of depression and drug use 2-5 times higher than the general population. Gambling affects children's brains, causing them to lack self-control and become addicted to gambling, leading to stealing money to gamble. Another impact from the risk factors that are commonly found is road accidents. According to the report on the situation of deaths from road accidents in 2023 by the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, there were as many as 17,498 people, an average of 48 people per day. 1 in 5 are children and youth aged 0-24 years or 10 people. The causes are not wearing a helmet 90.7%, drunk driving 38.3%, not wearing a seat belt 37.5%. As for the use of marijuana, the Health Systems Research Institute in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, conducted a study in 2023 and found that 11.8% of high school students, 17.1% of bachelor's degrees, and 47.60% of youth out side of school. Data from the Mini Thanyarak Center in 2023 found 2,381 psychiatric patients who were caused by methamphetamine (amphetamine pills) and kratom leaves, of which 394 were inpatients for long-term treatment. Ms. Supattra said that the data reflects a worrying situation for youth. The network would like to express its position to the government as follows: 1. Oppose policies that risk intoxicating children and youth, including legalizing e-cigarettes, legalizing online gambling, and free alcohol. 2. Request that the government urgently implement policies that protect children and youth in a tangible manner, such as increasing creative spaces for children and youth, building life skills, and adjusting the curriculum to not just focus on academic excellence in the knockout system. 3. The government must be serious about demanding benefits from gray businesses by strictly enforcing the law and integrating work with relevant agencies without shirking the truth. 4. Request that society help keep an ey e out and report clues to relevant agencies when undesirable events are found in order to protect children and youth from all forms of risk factors. 5. Request that committees related to the protection of children and youth at the provincial and national levels be alert, work proactively within the scope of their authority, and not ignore problems that affect children, youth, and society, while taking into account the Convention on the Rights of the Child.