HEALTH BEING PROMOTION AND SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR REDUCING ALCOHOL SMOKING CESSATION ACCORDING TO BUDDHIST INTEGRATED IN NONTHABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

The research article aimed to study the data of prototype temples, organize activities, and present policy proposals for applying Buddhist principles to develop social networks in reducing alcohol and cigarette consumption in Nonthaburi Province. This was conducted as an Action Research in four phases: 1. Studying health promotion data from prototype temples, 2. Organizing activities to reduce alcohol and cigarette consumption integrated with the prototype temples, 3. Expanding the activities to other areas, and 4. Recording academic and research collaboration agreements. The sample group consisted of 400 residents of Nonthaburi Province. The tools used in the study included: 1. Interviews for research purposes, 2. Opinion surveys, and 3. Participation forms for meditative activities. Data was analyzed using computer software and content analysis.

The research found that 1. Nonthaburi Province had the lowest smoking rate in Thailand at 14.57% and ranked 27th in alcohol consumption at 26.7% of the total population. 2. The activity "Meditation for the Buddhist Lent Period: Reduce, Refrain, Quit Alcohol and Cigarettes", held at Wat Bang Oi Chang from November 2021 to September 2022, utilized Buddhist principles to address the alcohol and cigarette issues in the community. The activity emphasized community participation, and the outcomes from monitoring and evaluation helped improve and expand the activities to other temples in the province to stimulate behavior change. 3. The policy proposals included 3.1 Establishing joint task forces and provincial committees to design clear and budget-consistent action plans with regular meetings to review and adjust policies, 3.2 Developing training curricula for personnel at all levels and using multi-channel media platforms to raise awareness and expand community campaigns, 3.3 Encouraging community, private sector, and government agency involvement in designing and conducting activities, promoting participation and resource support for sustainable operations.