Smoking in South Korea
Encyclopedia
Smoking in South Korea is the leading cause of death in the country, with more than 40,000 people dying every year from smoking
-related diseases. Koreans commonly smoke in restaurants and bars, nightclubs, noraebang, offices, Internet cafe
s and even some private hospitals. Posted signage indicating smoking ban
legislation are frequently ignored. Koreans regularly cite stress as a reason to smoke.
, 50% of adult males smoke, which is the highest rate among OECD countries, while 4% of South Korean women smoke. The rate at which Korean high school boys smoke has increased in recent years, and many Korean men begin smoking during the mandatory
2-year military service
.
completed a 13-year medical study on 1.2 million patients and found that about 73% of male smokers and 18% of female smokers contracted lung cancer
. There is rising awareness of the health effects of tobacco.
loses more than 10 trillion won
a year in terms of health-care expenses and lost man-hours due to smoking-related illness.
facilities and office buildings with a floor area of more than 1,000 m². The legislation does apply to smaller facilities or smoking in the immediate vicinity outside the buildings.
Seoul
instituted a ban on pedestrians smoking on streets which went into effect in August 2010.
society, a smoker may not light up in front of a social superior who is not smoking. A social superior could be a boss, professor, father, grandfather, or teacher.
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
-related diseases. Koreans commonly smoke in restaurants and bars, nightclubs, noraebang, offices, Internet cafe
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
s and even some private hospitals. Posted signage indicating smoking ban
Smoking ban
Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
legislation are frequently ignored. Koreans regularly cite stress as a reason to smoke.
Prevalence
In the year 2000, 70-80% of South Korean men were smokers. Currently, in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, 50% of adult males smoke, which is the highest rate among OECD countries, while 4% of South Korean women smoke. The rate at which Korean high school boys smoke has increased in recent years, and many Korean men begin smoking during the mandatory
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
2-year military service
Military of South Korea
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces or ROK Armed Forces, is the armed forces of the Republic of Korea...
.
Smoking and health
The Public Health Graduate School of Yonsei UniversityYonsei University
Yonsei University is a Christian private research university, located in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1885, it is one of the oldest universities in South Korea, the top private comprehensive universities in South Korea, and is widely regarded as one of the top three comprehensive...
completed a 13-year medical study on 1.2 million patients and found that about 73% of male smokers and 18% of female smokers contracted lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. There is rising awareness of the health effects of tobacco.
Economic effects
The economy of South KoreaEconomy of South Korea
South Korea has a market economy which ranks 15th in the world by nominal GDP and 12th by purchasing power parity , identifying it as one of the G-20 major economies. It is a high-income developed country, with a developed market, and is a member of OECD...
loses more than 10 trillion won
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
a year in terms of health-care expenses and lost man-hours due to smoking-related illness.
Anti-smoking legislation
Since 2006 smoking has been banned inside governmentGovernment of South Korea
The Government of South Korea is divided into executive, judicial, and legislative branches. The executive and judicial branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and...
facilities and office buildings with a floor area of more than 1,000 m². The legislation does apply to smaller facilities or smoking in the immediate vicinity outside the buildings.
Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
instituted a ban on pedestrians smoking on streets which went into effect in August 2010.
Korean smoking etiquette
Because Korea is still a strongly ConfucianKorean Confucianism
Korean Confucianism is the form of Confucianism developed in Korea. One of the most substantial influences in Korean intellectual history was the introduction of Confucian thought as part of the cultural influence from China...
society, a smoker may not light up in front of a social superior who is not smoking. A social superior could be a boss, professor, father, grandfather, or teacher.
External links
- Robert Neff Korea and “The World No-Tobacco Day” June 1, 2010