Yeongdeungpo-gu Focuses on Creating Smoke-Free Environment by Expanding No-Smoking Zones and Operating Smoking Cessation Clinics

Designation of Smoke-Free Zones, Installation of Smoking Booths, and Operation of Smoking Cessation Clinics to Create a Healthy City... Smoking Cessation Clinic Appointment System Available... Consultations from 9 AM to 6 PM on Weekdays... Coping with Withdrawal Symptoms, Nicotine Dependence Assessment... Provision of Smoking Cessation Aids and Behavioral Reinforcement Items

District Mayor Chaehyun Il of Yeongdeungpo-gu (second from the right) and related staff are conducting an on-site inspection of the Yeouido non-smoking area on the 23rd of last month.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) is focusing on various smoking cessation promotion projects, such as expanding non-smoking zones and operating smoking cessation clinics, to create a pleasant and open healthy city free from cigarette smoke.

The district has designated streets near school routes in the Yeouido area, which has a high volume of foot traffic, as non-smoking streets to protect residents from the harmful environment of secondhand smoke and transform the area into a clean environment where people want to walk. They are also thoroughly enforcing smoking bans within these non-smoking zones.

Recently, the district additionally designated a total of four non-smoking streets, including the school route of Singil Middle School, a high-complaint area where residents frequently suffer from secondhand smoke exposure.

Going forward, the district plans to continuously expand non-smoking zones in multi-family housing complexes, publicly accessible spaces in large buildings, and other high-traffic complaint areas by collecting opinions from local residents and conducting on-site inspections, while focusing on strict enforcement of smoking bans.

Additionally, to help smokers succeed in quitting, the district operates a smoking cessation clinic within the Citizen Health Management Center of the Public Health Center.

At the smoking cessation clinic, services include ▲ one-on-one smoking habit counseling with professional smoking cessation counselors ▲ education on coping with withdrawal symptoms and managing smoking urges ▲ measurement of blood pressure and exhaled carbon monoxide, and nicotine dependence assessment ▲ free provision of smoking cessation aids such as nicotine patches, gum, and candies ▲ and free distribution of behavioral reinforcement items like mouthwash, toothbrush sets, and hand acupressure devices for use during withdrawal symptoms.

Moreover, to accommodate residents who find it difficult to visit the clinic in person due to the spread of COVID-19, an email registration service is also available, allowing for time-saving consultations and simplified registration procedures.

Residents wishing to register for the smoking cessation clinic via email can download the registration form from the Yeongdeungpo-gu Public Health Center website and submit it to jihaemanse@ydp.go.kr.

Furthermore, the district operates a smoking cessation camp in cooperation with the Seoul Smoking Cessation Support Center. For more details, inquiries can be made at the Yeongdeungpo-gu Public Health Center smoking cessation clinic.

In addition, to reduce complaints caused by cigarette smoke and protect smokers' rights, smoking booths have been installed in high-traffic areas such as the Hanwha Insurance Building, Kyobo Securities Building, and KB Building in Yeouido. Currently, a total of seven smoking booths are installed around the Yeouido securities district, with plans to add more in areas with frequent complaints.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “I hope that the Yeongdeungpo-gu smoking cessation clinic and programs will be of great help to many smokers who are determined to quit smoking,” and added, “We will do our best to discover and operate diverse and effective smoking cessation support policies to create a pleasant and safe healthy city free from cigarette smoke.”