The Public Health Ministry is pressing ahead with its plan to control alcohol advertising following the National Legislative Assembly’s approval last week of the Alcohol Consumption Control Bill. Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said a ministerial regulation is being drafted to bring the advertising curbs into effect.

The bill approved by the NLA is in the process of being published in the Royal Gazette. However, the most controversial provision, a round-the-clock ban on alcohol advertising on television and radio, was left out of the final bill. As a result, alcohol commercials are still allowed on television and radio from 10 pm to 5 am. Live broadcasts of sports programmes with alcohol commercials will also continue.

Dr. Mongkol said the bill would still be useful for reducing crime and social problems linked to alcohol consumption. It regulates alcohol labeling, tightens alcohol advertising and promotion and raises the minimum age for buying alcohol from 18 to 20 years.

Prakit Vathesatogkit, a member of the national committee on alcohol consumption control, believed the laws would curb the number of young drinkers and cut fatalities caused by alcohol. However, he did not believe it would lead to a reduction of alcohol consumption in general. There are about 20,000 alcohol related deaths in Thailand each year.