The Thai government will take tougher action against e-cigarette smokers, who can be charged with receiving smuggled products.

The government has stepped up suppression of e-cigarettes and related products, covering not only smugglers and distributors but also smokers, deputy government spokesman Anukul Prueksa-anurak said on Thursday.

E-cigarettes are illegal in Thailand but that has not stopped them from being openly sold, even in areas near schools, leading to an alarming increase in vaping among young people. The recent hospitalisation of teens with lung damage has drawn further attention to the problem.

Ramathibodi Hospital found in a study that vaping-related diseases cost it about 306 million baht for medical treatment last year, Mr Anukul said. The diseases included pulmonary disease, stroke, heart attack and asthma.

He said the percentage of vape users among people aged 15-29 years rose from 5.8% in 2019 to 12.2% in 2024.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra recently ordered a serious crackdown on e-cigarettes, particularly online sales channels. Mr Anukul said that in the two months since the crackdown began, sales and the number of e-cigarette users had dropped by more than 80%.