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Smoking while walking and banning smoking in public places has become a hot topic in recent years. Smoking on the street or smoking in public can be a personal choice.
However, it has become a very sensitive social issue because it can cause great harm to people around them, especially vulnerable groups such as children, through secondhand smoke.
According to data published by the “Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs”, one of the most common places where secondhand smoke occurs is on the street.
This is because many people unknowingly inhale cigarette smoke from smokers on their daily walks.
Studies have already shown that secondhand smoke is harmful to health, and the harmful substances in tobacco smoke can have a greater impact on vulnerable people, such as children and the elderly.
In addition, there is also the potential for accidental splattering of cigarette ash to start fires on nearby objects.
More importantly, the height at which an adult holds a cigarette is very similar to the eye level of a child, which increases the likelihood of a child accidentally getting burned while walking by.
In fact, there was an incident in South Korea where a 7-year-old child was burned on the cheek by a smoker while walking down the street. This incident served as a reminder to many people of the dangers of smoking while walking.
The problem of smoking while walking is not unique to Korea. In Japan, a case of child blindness caused by smoking while walking became a major issue in 2001, leading most local governments to introduce regulations banning smoking on the street.
The Japanese example is a good reference for how to balance the freedom to smoke with public safety.
South Korea has a similar problem, and in response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and local governments have implemented various policies to expand non-smoking areas and raise awareness among smokers.
The most representative of these are the expansion of non-smoking areas and the imposition of fines for smoking in prohibited places.
On August 17, 2024, South Korea’s “Ministry of Health and Welfare” expanded smoking-free zones to within 30 meters of the boundaries of daycare centers, kindergartens, and elementary, middle, and high schools. Previously, only 10 meters of the boundaries of these educational facilities were designated as smoke-free.
So, while it was previously legal to smoke just a short distance away from educational facilities, this amendment makes smoking around schools much more restricted.
The amendment came into full effect in August of this year after a one-year grace period. It aims to reduce the harm of secondhand smoke around schools and protect children and adolescents in particular from secondhand smoke.
To publicize this, South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion and Development Institute have been actively promoting the new law by installing posters and banners about smoke-free areas.
In addition, according to the amendment, those who smoke within 30 meters of the boundaries of daycare centers, kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools can be fined up to 100,000 won.
This is a measure to minimize the harm caused by smoking in public places and to serve as a warning to those who do not comply with the law.
Smoking in public places isn’t just a matter of secondhand smoke; it can be a serious problem if the area where smokers are present contains a lot of flammable materials, such as gas stations, which can lead to fires or explosions.
Gas stations are places where many flammable materials, such as gasoline, are present, and gasoline has a very low flash point of -43 degrees Fahrenheit to 20 degrees Celsius, which means that even a small ember can easily ignite.
Therefore, smoking in places like gas stations is a dangerous behavior that can lead to a large fire or explosion.
To prevent this, on July 31, the Dangerous Goods Safety Management Act was amended to include a clear ban on smoking in places where dangerous goods are stored and used, such as gas stations.
The previous law was unclear on the prohibition of smoking in these places, but this amendment clearly states that smoking is prohibited.
The rules have been strengthened to allow the fire marshal to issue a citation if signs are not posted prohibiting smoking in such locations.
If you smoke in a place where dangerous goods are stored and used, such as a gas station, you can be fined up to 5 million won. This is a strong measure to deter individuals from illegal smoking behavior that could lead to a major accident.
Smoking at gas stations is not just a warning, but an important regulation that must be followed for public safety.
Smoking in public is not just a personal choice, it’s a social responsibility that can lead to harm to others as well as yourself.
You should always be mindful of the health issues for those who are affected by secondhand smoke, as well as the risk that it can lead to major accidents, such as fires or explosions.
Smoking around educational facilities, such as daycare centers, preschools, and schools, is an especially serious issue given its impact on children and young people.
Children can be more sensitive to the harmful substances from smoking than adults, so smoking in these places should be absolutely prohibited.
Smoking is also a big controversy in shared residential facilities, such as apartment complexes. Not only is smoking in communal living spaces offensive to neighbors, but it can also directly cause secondhand smoke damage if windows are left open and cigarette smoke enters neighbors’ homes.
As a result, many apartment complexes have taken steps such as designating separate smoking areas or making entire apartments smoke-free.
The expansion of smoke-free zones and the introduction of fines are important policy changes to balance individual freedom to smoke with public safety. Smoking may be an individual right, but when others are harmed by it, it is no longer a personal issue, but a social one.
Smokers need to be careful about where they choose to smoke, and make sure that smoking in public is not done in places where it is legally prohibited.
The expansion of smoke-free zones and the introduction of fines are not just regulations, but important measures to promote the health of society as a whole.
Striking a balance between the freedom of smokers and the protection of the health of non-smokers is the challenge ahead, and it will lead to a healthier and safer society.
