Smoking and Vaping in Korea

During my 10 ½ years in Korea, I have inhaled vast amounts of second-hand smoke. I have never smoked and would never do so, believing it to be a vile and disgusting habit. The deleterious effects of smoking on the human body are legion. People who light up are more likely to develop lung cancer (not to mention cancer of the mouth, throat, bladder and kidneys), emphysema, diabetes, leukemia, blood clots, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It dulls the sense of smell and taste, contributes to anxiety and irritability, is bad for the teeth, can result in vision problems (such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataracts), stains fingers and fingernails, causes skin to wrinkle prematurely and weakens the immune system. For men, smoking can lead to erectile dysfunction. Female smokers are more likely to have difficult pregnancies (it also puts babies at risk of oxygen deprivation, growth problems and physical deformities), and breast and cervical cancer. Furthermore, smoking hastens menopause.

Smoking and apparently liking it

Despite these horrors, Koreans smoke prolifically. Among OECD countries, Korea has one of the highest rates of adult male smokers—36%. Women here smoke less (6% overall, 10% among women in their 20s) than their OECD counterparts, but I fear that number is changing. More and more, I see young women just puffing like there’s no tomorrow. Some turn away, as if feeling a degree of shame, but most do not. They seem to take it as their right to smoke as freely as Korean men. Indeed, I have heard at least a few positive references to this—as though it were indicative of gender equity.

Smoking is said to be in some ways pleasurable and is perceived as offering a temporary reduction in stress. None would deny that stress is a big part of modern Korean culture. The educational system is so stressful as to wreak emotional havoc on young people, and it is much the same in the workplace. To get and keep a good job is by no means easy, and firing up a ciggie provides momentary respite. (I would submit that there are better ways of relieving stress, the first and foremost being cardiovascular exercise.)

Paper laws

The government—specifically the Ministry of Health and Welfare—knows this is a significant problem. Efforts to curtail smoking began at least 20 years ago. Public information programs have been implemented in the media, in schools, on billboards and in the Seoul subway system. Wherever people gather, you are bound to see “no smoking” signs. Smoking has been banned in most public places since 2015, but these laws are seldom if ever enforced. Every day, I look outside my window and see a gaggle of men and women standing in front of a “no smoking” sign, smoking.

Although the price of a pack of cigarettes has been driven up by taxes, it is still quite low compared to other OECD countries. If the cost doubled or tripled overnight, determined and addicted smokers would grumble but still pay what they must for some nicotine. Smoking-cessation aids like bupropion and varenicline are available for free. There are programs for people who want to stop smoking, even financial incentives. Since 2016, the government has mandated the placement of full-color, graphic images of cancer-ridden smokers on all cigarette packages. They are intentionally disturbing. Perhaps, given time, such efforts will bear fruit.

E-ciggies

Koreans are not unaware of the dangers of smoking. Some, at least, look for alternatives and that means e-cigarettes. This industry generates $7 billion a year. E-cigs, available since 2004, mostly derive from China. An e-cigarette is a hand-held electronic device that simulates the feel of smoking. It works by heating an aerosol (usually consisting of propylene, glycol, glycerine, nicotine and flavorings), creating a vapor inhaled by the user. Thus the term “vaping.” Whether e-cigarettes facilitate smoking cessation is unclear, and the same can be said about their health risks. How toxic is that aerosol? Some scientists think vapers are not exposed to fewer carcinogens than cigarette smokers, just different ones. Vaping advocates insist what they do is at least an improvement over the age-old method of inhaling burned tobacco. I am dismayed to learn that there is now a vaping subculture, a vaping lifestyle. People gather to use their devices—sometimes modified at home to provide a stronger effect—and engage in “cloud-chasing” wherein they ostentatiously blow large plumes of vapor and seek to create rings, balls, ripples or other shapes. Yes, there are organized vaping competitions with prize money for the winners.

Whether they smoke or vape, these Koreans puzzle me. Life is precious, and I refuse to do anything that may minimize its quality or precipitate its end.