Photos of Chorayuth Chatupornprasith, MP of the People's Party, vaping in parliament have caused a stir, especially as there are parliamentary moves to revise policies for e-cigarettes, which are currently illegal in Thailand.
At present, lawmakers are studying whether to legalise e-cigarettes while vape-aligned businesses and anti-smoking campaigners are competing to win public opinion.
This all comes as the Paetongtarn government has been trying to combat e-cigarettes being smuggled into the country.
Mr Chorayuth has apologised to the public for his behaviour and will be probed by a House ethics panel. Currently, it is unclear if he was vaping in the "smoking area" of the parliament, but that isn't the point, as the MP is still in the wrong, given that vaping is illegal.
The controversy attests to the e-cigarette dilemma, where Thailand is one of 33 nations that have banned them. Meanwhile, the sale and use of e-cigarettes are allowed, albeit under restriction, in 89 countries.
While e-cigarettes remain illegal, the authorities need to do better in addressing the proliferation of smuggled e-cigarettes and how some illegal manufacturers are making e-cigarette liquids with flavours reportedly laced with narcotics. Currently, 20 state agencies are working on controlling e-cigarettes in Thailand. This begs the question of the efficacy of our law enforcement when so many resources have gone into ineffectively combatting vapes.
Meanwhile, the laws regarding the vape ban are not pragmatic and need to be revised. For grown-ups, smoking is not a crime, but doing it in the wrong place, such as a public area, is. But selling tobacco and e-cigarettes to children is a crime and one that needs to be enforced.
In terms of tourism, tourists from countries where vaping is legal cannot understand why they are fined when vaping in Thailand, where tobacco cigarettes are legal.
Needless to say, the ban also allows corrupt lawmakers to profit from getting tea money from smugglers.
If vapes remain illegal, the government must properly deal with the advertising of such items. Currently, online sites advertise vapes and accessories, which consumers can buy with little effort.
Amid worrying reports about the popularity of vapes among elementary school students, particular efforts must be made to prevent underage smoking.
E-cigarettes are a relatively new innovation that were touted to be a safer alternative to tobacco smoking, but health bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have released studies showing they can have negative health impacts.
Policymakers must keep abreast of new medical studies to craft responsible and informed public policy. The government must also provide accurate health information on vapes so that consumers can make well-informed decisions.
And as for the vaping lawmaker Mr Chorayuth, if he and any of his colleagues are found to be in the wrong, they should be held accountable as per the law, and parliament should then proceed on the issue with the proper focus.