Perspectives of push-pull-mooring effects on a desire for switching to alternative crops among tobacco farmers in Thailand: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco use contributes significantly to premature deaths worldwide. A key strategy to curb tobacco consumption involves limiting the tobacco supply through the transition to substitute crops. This study aims to provide insight into why tobacco farmers desire to switch to alternative crops and the support required for a successful transition. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 tobacco farmers expressing a desire to transition to other crops in two communities in Thailand. Data were recorded and transcribed verbatim in Thai and subsequently translated into English. A deductive content analysis applied the Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM) framework, contextualizing factors for the transition among tobacco farmers. RESULTS: Four main categories emerged: 1) push factors, encompassing negative experiences in growing tobacco, such as poverty, health problems, and hopelessness; 2) pull factors, representing positive experiences in transitioning to alternative crops, particularly having a role model; and 3) mooring factors, highlighting characteristic disadvantages of tobacco farmers, particularly the receipt of small tobacco growing quotas. The fourth category focused on the support needed for a successful transition, including the suspension of tobacco debt payments, access to low-interest loans, and the development of marketing capabilities. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides a comprehensive understanding of farmers' motivations to switch from tobacco to alternative crops and outlines the necessary support for a successful transition. Offering financial assistance and enhancing the production and marketing capabilities of alternative crops are essential steps toward facilitating a successful switch for farmers and ensuring a secure livelihood beyond tobacco farming.

Perception of and legal compliance with the law prohibiting cigarette sales to minors in Thailand following the raising of the minimum selling age to 20 years: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: The minimum age for cigarette sales in Thailand was increased from 18 to 20 years, as stipulated in the Tobacco Products Control Act B.E. 2017. This study investigated tobacco retailers' perceptions, cigarette sales behaviour and other factors relevant to selling cigarettes to people younger than 20 years in areas surrounding schools in Thailand. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Tobacco shops within a radius of 500 m of secondary schools across four regions of Thailand. Data collection took place between May and August 2019. PARTICIPANTS: 1440 tobacco retailers (grocery or convenience stores) were sampled via a stratified, two-stage cluster sampling method. 1021 retailers completed the self-administered questionnaire. OUTCOME MEASURES: Tobacco sales to people younger than 20 years. RESULTS: The prevalence of the retailers' cigarette sales to youth younger than 20 years was 38.20% (95% CI 35.2% to 41.3%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed associations with sale of single cigarettes (adjusted OR (AOR) 23.14, 95% CI 15.13 to 35.39), self-service sale of cigarettes (4.21, 2.59 to 6.86) and display of cigarettes at the point of sale (2.39, 1.47 to 3.89). Cigarette sales to underage youth were higher among retailers located in the northeast region (AOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.64) and among those who did not perceive the prosecution of violators in the past year (1.85, 1.16 to 2.96). CONCLUSION: A large percentage of cigarette retailers violated the laws related to underage cigarette sales. Measures to minimise retailers' legally non-compliant sales behaviours should be implemented along with improved legal enforcement.

Predicting Factors for Retailers' Sale of Cigarettes to Adolescents in the Lower Part of Northern Region of Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Thailand is one of the members of WHO FCTC and has paid so much attention to preventing adolescents' access to tobacco. However, Thai adolescents still have access to tobacco with ease. The aim of this research was to investigate the predicting factors for the cigarettes sale to adolescents by the retailers in Thailand. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: This cross sectional survey was conducted after a careful desk review of the relevant literature. Multistage random sampling technique was used to sample the survey participants (n = 675) who were retailers of tobacco in the lower northern region of Thailand. Data were collected by validated questionnaires and analyzed by descriptive analytic, chi-square test and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: More than half (58.7%) of the participants sell cigarettes to adolescents. Factors such as open display of cigarette at the point of sale, selling cigarettes in sticks, selling cigarettes by self-service, and reluctant disregard of buyers' age by the seller significantly correlated with and predicted, at 95% level of confidence, the behavior of retailers selling cigarettes to adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Thai adolescent's access to tobacco continues to be a serious public health problem. Therefore, the Ministry of Public Health and other relevant stakeholders saddled with the responsibility of interventions to scale up measures that would reinforce the law of Tobacco Control Act.