"Supamas" is preparing to propose to the Prime Minister the establishment of a special task force center to combat e-cigarettes to prevent youth from becoming victims after raiding a warehouse with tens of thousands of items.
On 7 May 2026 at the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), Ms. Supamas Isarapakdi, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, along with Police General Niran Leumsri, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, jointly announced the arrest of a network illegally selling e-cigarettes via Facebook and TikTok platforms. They seized over 5,000 items in Samut Sakhon Province, including production machinery and numerous packaging sealing machines. Additionally, 28 kilograms of "Etomidate" were found—a component of the "zombie cigarettes" currently spreading among tourists and entertainment venues, posing serious risks to the nervous system and health.
Ms. Supamas emphasized that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul places utmost importance on protecting children and youth from the dangers of e-cigarettes. He has ordered crackdowns from production to distribution. One e-cigarette contains nicotine equivalent to 20 regular cigarettes, increasing the risk of acute heart failure and damaging brain development. For a long-term solution, a proposal will be submitted to the Prime Minister to establish a "Special Task Force Center to Combat E-cigarettes," chaired by the Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office. This center will coordinate efforts with the Ministry of Public Health, Customs Department, and police to ensure unified action supported by comprehensive legislation.
Furthermore, the Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office addressed rumors regarding unequal enforcement and corruption among officials, affirming that arrests are conducted transparently. There is no policy to legalize e-cigarettes or allow illicit businesses to grow in Thailand. She also instructed the Office of the Consumer Protection Board to coordinate with schools nationwide to raise accurate awareness about the harms of e-cigarettes, aiming to cut demand among young people and sustainably safeguard the nation's public health security.