Thai Academics are warning about a new type of e-cigarette called "toy pods" which look like replicas of popular cartoon characters to target school and university students.
Examples of vaporisers that feature designs of popular cartoon characters. (Photo: Coutesy of Srirach Lapyai)
Bangkok (VNA) – Thai Academics are warning about anew type of e-cigarette called "toy pods" which look like replicas ofpopular cartoon 🍰characters to target school and university students.
Srirach Lapyai, a project manager at Tobacco Control Researchand Knowledge Management Centre (TRC), said e-cigarette businesses haveadjusted the appearance of their products to look more like figurines of famouscartoon characters or cute miniatures of toys, food, stationery items, and soforth. They are the fifth generation of e-cigarettes called"toy pods", Srirach said, adding each one contains up to 5%synthetic nicotine and yields up to 15,000 puffs. The e-cigarettes in the form of toy pods have been so widelypopular that they have spread to primary school students. Many first graderswere recently found carrying them, she said. Srirach explained that the mouthpiece of the toy pods isdesigned to mimic a cute figurine, making them almost unrecognisable ase-cigarettes. Dr Vijj Kasemsup, director of the TRC, said businesses thatproduce new-generation e-cigarettes target younger customers by opening shopsand launching promotions on social media that suit their preferences andlifestyles. According to a recent report, 309 online vendors were foundto be illegally selling e-cigarettes through social media channels, includingX, Facebook, and Instagram, between January and February. Nicotine from e-cigarettes can affect children's hearts,brain cells, memories, concentration, and respiratory system and can causeseizures and heart failure, Vijj said, urging the Thai government to continuebanning e-cigarette sales and imports as well as proactively enforceregulations against such products. Thai authorities have recently found 70 e-cigarette shopslocated within 500-metre radiuses of schools and universities in Bangkok. Legalaction against e-cigarette shops has been proposed to develop a safetymechanism./.
The Cambodian Government has implemented a value-added tax (VAT) on cigarettes to combat the health risks associated with smoking and tobacco products.
Many experts have suggested establishing a legal framework to control new-generation tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, and prohibit their use among students.
Laos plans to amend and supplement certain provisions of the law on drug prevention and control, with electronic cigarettes to be included in the list of substances and precursors classified as addictive.
The Cambodian Ministry of Health has warned that e-cigarettes, shisha, and heated tobacco products (HTPs) have caused serious effects on users' health, urging people, especially youth, not to try these products.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
Examples of vaporisers that feature designs of popular cartoon characters. (Photo: Coutesy of Srirach Lapyai) 
