Community mobilization to compliance with the Tobacco laws in rural areas of Khon Kaen province, Thailand Writers in the 2009 Writing Workshop ( Health Promotion International journal, H. education Research) Niramon Muangsom

Topic: Community mobilization to compliance with the Tobacco laws in rural areas of Khon Kaen province,Thailand 1.Tobacco can cause lung carcinoma and Cardiovascular disease and cause socio- economic consequences worldwide –The adult daily and occasional smoking prevalence in Thailand 2004 is 37.2 % (male) and 2.1 % (female) –Thailand adopted the comprehensive tobacco control measures following to WHO FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) 2003 – 2 laws passed for 16 years to reduce smoking cessation and prevalence of smoking

Puzzle (Problem) Thailand passed Tobacco Products Control Act and Nonsmokers Health protection act more than 16 years ago - These laws are not effective in the rural in term of enforcement - Evidence show that merchants in villages still sell cigarette to minors (under 18 years), 55 % - Some adults still smoking in government office, bus stop and other public spaces.

Puzzle (Problem) Studies focus on the consumer protection roles of organizations, health personnel (quantitative and a few of qualitative researches) Numbers of new smokers are increase in rural and urban areas each year. Education for promoting community mobilization (rural) to compliance with tobacco laws need.

Research Question (s) How might community mobilization to compliance with the tobacco laws in rural area? –How do people and their stakeholders learn to educate the members of their community? –How do the leaders in the villages and members of Sub-district Administration Organisation :SAO) set up some social measures for compliance with the laws ? How might a locally- based participatory intervention enhance people’s compliance with the laws?

What will we learn? Community mobilization in health protection and health promotion program (people’s compliance with tobacco law should be started with the process of - problems analysis - planning - Implementation - Evaluation + Social Support from the government officer (CDC. Office) and etc.

Background Prevalence of smoking in Thai people aged = % (year 2005) - regular smokers (15 years and over) 9.5 million, most are in Northeastern region about 3.5 million (Sarunya Benjagoon, Monta Kengpanit and Lasana Termsilikoonchai, 2006) Thai document Education program for inhibiting smoking focus on the youth in school, people in some village in Khon Kaen (Krisana Poopunkum,2008)

Study Design (Methodology) Methodology : Action research ( the study need to empower villages leaders, VHV, the stakeholders in local setting to push the social movements) - Purposive the study areas which public health personnel compliance) - Data collection : a). quantitative data (questionnaire people aged years.(92), inspection form for examine the shops (CDC.Thai) b). qualitative data(in- depth interview : villages leaders, teacher, merchants)

Findings/Results Community leaders involved in problem analysis, prioritize of activities, planning, implementation (Public relation and education about smoking cigarette can harm our health's, tobacco laws) and evaluation. Community can plan for educate and campaign about tobacco laws, set up surveillance of merchants who violate the tobacco laws in their village (committee People gained more knowledge, compliance with the law after they educated.

Conclusions The study revealed that : - Community can plan for education and campaign activities about tobacco laws. - Set up the surveillance of merchants who violate the Tobacco laws in villages - Stakeholders from organizations involved and support community, this make more effective Suggestion : Social mobilization and civil society concepts can enhance people to compliance with the laws.