One in four monks in Thailand smokes tobacco despite Buddhist prohibitions against consuming addictive substances, a survey has revealed.
The survey, conducted by the Mahidol and Rangsit Universities of 6,213 monks in Bangkok and 24 other provinces, found that 24 percent smoked tobacco, the Bangkok Post reported Tuesday.
Naowarat Charoenkarnkha, one of the researchers and a faculty member at Mahidol University, said temple abbots told her some monks were too addicted to try and quit the habit.
Naowarat called for a campaign to declare temples smoke-free zones.
Speaking in observance of World No Tobacco Day Monday, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he was worried about the trend of youthful smoking. He said the government was ready to pay for active anti-smoking campaigns.
Although smokers declined to 20 percent of the Thai population in 2001 compared to 30 percent in 1976, the National Statistical Office has cautioned that smoking is gaining popularity among youths aged 15-24 years.
The World Health Organization yesterday supported a call for higher taxes on cigarettes to deter smokers, particularly the poor.