Smoking rate in S. Korea up in 2009

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- The smoking rate in South Korea rose in 2009 from a
year earlier, the nation's health ministry said Tuesday, reaffirming that it will
intensify anti-smoking efforts for better public health.

According to a survey conducted by the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family
Affairs, the smoking rate for people aged 19 or older here stood at 23.3 percent
at the end of last year, up from 22.3 percent a year earlier.
The figures are based on a survey of 3,000 people across the nation conducted by
telephone, the ministry explained.
The rate for males was up from 40.9 percent to 43.1 percent, while that for
female counterparts inched down from 4.1 percent to 3.9 percent over the same
period.
Of the total respondents, 59.1 percent said that they smoke as a habit with 32.6
percent citing stress as a major reason, according to the survey.
Most people said that they have tried to stop smoking out of health concerns. Of
those polled, 68.8 percent answered that they have attempted to quit smoking at
least once and 63.8 percent of them citing health concerns as the reason for the
try.
For the rise in smoking rates, the ministry said that it will step up its
"aggressive and strong" anti-smoking drive this year.
It will continue to push to designate parks, hospitals and other public
facilities as smoking-free areas, while seeking to enforce stricter measures
against promotion and marketing activities by cigarette manufacturers that could
mislead consumers on the health impact of smoking, the ministry said.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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