Mr. Chatree Wattanakhajorn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of BMA, presided over awards for the Media Innovation Hackathon 2024 competition, designing media innovations through the power of youth, under the topic “Kids’ Ideas to Cope with E-Cigarettes.”

He said that it is well-known that drugs are a national problem. Bangkok has a clear policy to solve the drug problem, including e-cigarettes, by announcing that all 437 schools under Bangkok must be e-cigarette-free and have various measures in place. For example, searching for drugs and electronic cigarettes that may be hidden in students’ bags, including requesting cooperation from the Metropolitan Police Bureau to bring canines to search for drugs in schools. It includes a policy for teachers, parents, and communities around schools to watch out for students at risk of drug addiction, and asks for cooperation from stores not to sell cigarettes and e-cigarettes to students. It also covers encouraging students to engage in useful activities such as TO BE NUMBER ONE activities. In addition, Bangkok has a health department and a medical department that play an important role in providing knowledge and understanding of the dangers of e-cigarettes to the public and various agencies, including treatment. On this occasion, I’d like to congratulate all of you. I’m glad to see the new generation taking part in the campaign against e-cigarettes.

The Radio and Media Association for Children and Youth (RMACY) has scheduled a Media Innovation Hackathon 2024 competition to design media innovation through the power of youth with the topic “Kids’ Ideas to Cope with E-Cigarettes.” under the support of the Health Promotion Foundation (Thai Health Promotion Foundation). It aims to open space and opportunities for exchange, learning, and developing the potential of children and youth networks, helping children and youth be aware of the dangers and stay away from e-cigarettes, including applying knowledge from research to benefit the creation of media innovations towards professionalism.

Over 200 high school students, both central and regional, applied to participate in the project. There were 8 teams left, 4 people per team, totaling 32 people. It is considered to be a gathering of students from various schools across the country to join the activity camp project between 22-24 March 2024.