JTI Korea promotes smoking etiquette

A JTI Korea employee hands out a portable ashtray at Korea University in Seoul, Friday. The tobacco company has been holding a campaign to help smokers equip themselves with proper etiquette, considering non-smokers. / Courtesy of JTI Korea

By Yoon Ja-young

Smokers are being called to exercise proper manners these days, to co-exist peacefully with non-smokers. JTI Korea, the Korean unit of the global cigarette company Japan Tobacco International (JTI), held a campaign Friday to promote proper smoking etiquette.

“The JTI Smoking Manners Campaign” was held at Korea University in Seoul, as the campus was filled with young people participating in the 41st IPSELENTI, one of the largest college festivals in the country.

During the festival, JTI Korea distributed 4,000 portable ashtrays for free, under the slogan “JTI Korea encourages smokers who are considerate of others.”

The company has been holding the smoking etiquette campaign since 2001 to set up a culture where smokers have regard for others. It is especially focused on college students who smoke, holding campaigns at a number of college campuses around the country. It distributed 1,000 portable ashtrays at Konkuk University and supported Seoul Women's University students' project to improve the campus environment. It is scheduled to provide around 10,000 ashtrays at 70 college campuses.

The campaign at Korea University this time was especially meaningful since the portable ashtray distributed there was designed by college students who won at the design competition last year.

JTI has been holding a “JTI Smoking Manners Campaign” around the country, to help establish a society where smokers and non-smokers peacefully co-exist through mutual respect. It has distributed over 1 million portable ashtrays in Korea since 2001, cooperating with diverse organizations.

As a global cigarette company, JTI is known for brands such as Mevius, previously known as Mild Seven, Winston, Camel and LD. It also sells the electronic cigarette Logic. It advanced into the heated tobacco market by launching Ploom in 2011. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, JTI has around 40,000 employees in some 130 countries around the world.

Since its advancement into the Korean market in 1992, JTI Korea has been continuing to grow. It has around 500 employees in 15 operations in the country, including headquarters in Seoul.

The company's social contribution activities have been focused on support for senior citizens and the culture and art scenes.