According to reports from the National Statistical Office and recent surveys on the health behaviors of Thai people, there has been a continuous upward trend in the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among teenagers and youth, particularly among students and the general public. In 2024, it was found that 957,000 Thais were e-cigarette users. E-cigarette use is considered a high-risk behavior that may lead to nicotine addiction, as well as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and may serve as a gateway to the use of other addictive substances in the future.
Campaigning to raise public awareness about the dangers of conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, as well as educating the public about legal penalties, is therefore one effective approach to reducing the number of new smokers. This is especially true when using “creative communication” that reaches target audiences through online platforms, which are the primary media channels for younger generations.
This project was therefore organized to enable physical therapy students to practice producing video clips and to collaborate with faculty members in disseminating knowledge to society. It integrates health-related knowledge with public communication under the “Wellness” concept, which emphasizes health promotion and long-term disease prevention, particularly by reducing risk factors associated with cigarette and e-cigarette use.
Project Objectives:
- To provide students with practical skills in producing video clips to disseminate knowledge about the dangers of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
- To enable students and faculty members to jointly campaign and disseminate knowledge about the hazards of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, legal penalties, and methods of smoking and vaping cessation through physical therapy, thereby reaching a wider audience.
The project has been implemented since 30 May 2024, with the following activities:
- Physical therapy students produced short campaign video clips under the guidance and supervision of faculty members.
- Coordination with the Thai Health Promotion Foundation to request approval for disseminating the campaign materials.
- Publishing students’ video clips on the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences’ Facebook page and the Facebook page of the Physical Therapy Network for a Smoke-Free Thai Society.
- Physical therapy students and faculty members promoted and disseminated campaign materials within Burapha University.
Project Outcomes:
- Physical therapy students gained hands-on experience in producing video clips to disseminate knowledge on the dangers of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
- Physical therapy students and faculty members jointly campaigned to disseminate information on the hazards of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, legal penalties, and smoking/vaping cessation methods through physical therapy to a wider audience, particularly during World No Tobacco Day.
- Audiences who viewed the campaign materials gained accurate knowledge and became more aware of the dangers of smoking.
- The rate of e-cigarette use among teenagers and youth showed a decline.
