People will quit smoking at 8,000 won a pack

By Lee Hyo-sik

Korean smokers are willing to say no to cigarettes if a pack costs more than 8,055.6 won, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Sunday. The expansion of non-smoking areas, a hike in tobacco prices, a harsh crackdown on smoking in non-smoking zones and anti-smoking publicity campaigns have been cited as effective tools in slashing the nation’s smoking rates.

In a survey of 3,000 men and women across the country, 49.3 percent of respondents said raising cigarettes prices have dampened and will dampen tobacco consumption, with an average smoker willing to quit the habit if a pack of cigarettes goes up beyond 8,055.6 won. Only 22.7 percent said the current price for a pack of cigarettes (2,500 won) was expensive.

The ministry said the smoking rate among Koreans over 19 stood at 20.7 percent in December, down from 23.3 percent a year earlier.

The rate for adult men also dropped to 39.6 percent from 43.1 percent over the same period, meaning that fewer than four out of every 10 Korean men smoke a cigarette regularly. About 2.2 percent of adult women were found to light up, down from 3.9 percent in December 2009.

By age, a growing number of men in their 40s and 50s have quit smoking, mostly driven by health concerns. The rate for 40-somethings declined to 43.4 percent in December from 50 percent in June, with that of 50-somethings falling to 31.3 percent from 41.5 percent.

“A drop in the number of male smokers in their 40s and 50s contributed to the decrease in the overall smoking rate. We think raising awareness of the negative side effects to health, the designation of more non-smoking zones in public places and an anti-smoking campaign have combined made a huge difference,” a ministry official said.

But an increasing number of young men are picking up the habit. The smoking rate for 30-somethings jumped to 52.2 percent in December from 48.5 percent six months ago, with the rate for 20-somethings rising to 40.9 percent from 38.2 percent.

Additionally, 5.8 percent of women under 29 were found to smoke cigarettes, accounting for the majority of female smokers.

The ministry also said an average smoker starts lighting up at the age of 21.1 years and becomes a frequent smoker five months later.

About 58.1 percent of the smokers surveyed attempted to quit smoking at least once, mainly due to deteriorating health conditions; 62.3 percent are seeking to kick the habit in the near future.

Stress (32.5 percent), lack of willpower (25.3 percent) and nicotine addiction (22.9 percent) are cited by smokers as reasons for not being able to stop smoking.

Respondents also said hiking the price for a pack of cigarettes (19 percent), taking tougher punishment against those who smoke in non-smoking zones (17.5 percent) and an anti-smoking campaign (16.3 percent) are some effective policy tools for lowering Korea’s smoking rate.

흡연자 '담배 한 갑 8,000원 넘으면 끊는다'

한국의 흡연자들은 만약 답배 값이 1갑에 8,055원을 넘으면 금연을 할 의향이 있다고 답했다고 보건복지부가 2일 밝혔다.

이들은 흡연율을 줄이는 데에는 금연구역 확대, 담배 값 인상, 금연구역에서의 흡연 단속 강화, 금연 케페인 등이 효과적이라고 지적했다.

3천명 남녀를 대상으로 한 조사에서 응답자의 49.3 퍼센트는 담뱃값 인상이 담배 소비를 억제 해왔다고 응답했다. 응답자들은 답배값이 1갑에 8,055원을 넘으면 금연을 할 의향이 있다고 답했다. 22.7 퍼센트의 응답자는 현행 담배 한 갑 가격 2,500원은 비싸다고 말했다.

복지부는 19세 이상의 흡연율은 12월 현재 20.7 퍼센트에 달한다고 밝혔다.

성인남성의 흡연율이 39.6%를 기록했으며 이는 2009년 12월 성인흡연율 43.1% 보다 3.5%포인트 감소한 수치라고 밝혔다.

19세 이상 여성의 흡연율은 지난해 말 3.9%에서 2.2%로 1.7%포인트 낮아진 것으로 나타났다.