[Hwasun=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyuk-jun] Jeollanam-do Hwasun-gun announced on the 29th that it will conduct joint inspections and crackdowns on smoking in non-smoking areas until the 28th of next month to prevent secondhand smoke damage and create a smoke-free environment.
This crackdown, jointly conducted by the four counties of Hwasun, Damyang, Gokseong, and Gurye, will organize three inspection teams composed of public officials and private smoking cessation guides to carry out the enforcement.
The targets of the crackdown are non-smoking areas designated by the National Health Promotion Act and ordinances, including public offices, medical facilities, PC rooms, billiard halls, general restaurants, kindergartens and daycare centers, and apartment complexes.
The county plans to focus inspections on whether signs and stickers indicating the entire facility is a non-smoking area are posted, compliance with standards for installing smoking rooms within facilities, and smoking behavior within public-use facilities in non-smoking areas.
Violations such as failure to post non-smoking area signs or non-compliance with smoking room installation standards will result in fines of up to 1.7 million KRW for the first offense, 3.3 million KRW for the second, and 5 million KRW for the third. Smoking within public-use non-smoking areas (including e-cigarettes) will incur fines of up to 100,000 KRW.
Smoking within 10 meters of facility boundaries such as kindergartens and daycare centers, as well as at bus and taxi stops, is also subject to fines, so special caution is required.
A Hwasun County Public Health Center official said, “We hope that the joint smoking cessation guidance and crackdown will prevent the harms caused by smoking and help establish a smoke-free culture within the local community.”
Hwasun=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyuk-jun baekok@asiae.co.kr
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