The Status and Future Challenges of Tobacco Control Policy in Korea

Abstract

Tobacco use is the most important preventable risk factor for premature death. The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first international public health treaty, came into force in 2005. This paper reviews the present status of tobacco control policies in Korea according to the WHO FCTC recommendations. In Korea, cigarette use is high among adult males (48.2% in 2010), and cigarette prices are the lowest among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries with no tax increases since 2004. Smoke-free policies have shown incremental progress since 1995, but smoking is still permitted in many indoor public places. More than 30% of non-smoking adults and adolescents are exposed to second-hand smoke. Public education on the harmful effects of tobacco is currently insufficient and the current policies have not been adequately evaluated. There is no comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, or sponsorship in Korea. Cigarette packages have text health warnings on only 30% of the main packaging area, and misleading terms such as "mild" and "light" are permitted. There are nationwide smoking cessation clinics and a Quitline service, but cessation services are not covered by public insurance schemes and there are no national treatment guidelines. The sale of tobacco to minors is prohibited by law, but is poorly enforced. The socioeconomic inequality of smoking prevalence has widened, although the government considers inequality reduction to be a national goal. The tobacco control policies in Korea have faltered recently and priority should be given to the development of comprehensive tobacco control policies.

Decreases in Smoking-Related Cancer Mortality Rates Are Associated with Birth Cohort Effects in Korean Men

“…Our findings showed that birth cohorts born in the 1920–1930s, however, had the highest mortality rates compared with successive cohorts. These individuals were already in early adulthood when manufactured cigarettes began to become widely available (after 1945) [2] and were probably more likely to have a somewhat higher lifetime exposure to cigarette smoking compared with those born in the 1950–1960s who would have experienced the tobacco control policy introduced in Korea in 1976 [29]. We hypothesized that changes in birth cohort would be similar between smoking-related cancers, if smoking was the major factor that affected the trends in mortality rates for these smoking-related cancers.…”

“…Although it was difficult to establish smoking rates in Korea, the smoking rate seemed to reach its peak (79.3% among Korean men), in the 1980s and then to have leveled off [29]. The Korean tobacco control policy, which gives health warnings on cigarette packages, was introduced in 1976 [29]. In 1995, the National Health Promotion Act, which restricted smoking areas and cigarette advertising, was established [3].…”

Health Performance and Challenges in Korea: a Review of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013

“…It is therefore necessary to implement policies addressing these groups. Well-designed policy addressing this issue may diminish health inequality (27). …”

The effect of outdoor smoking ban: Evidence from Korea

“…In addition, under the National Health Promotion Plan, the central government gave local authorities the power to enact bylaws banning smoking in outdoor public places (Cho, 2014). The main purpose of the act was to address prevalent secondhand smoke in 2010.…”