Fines Imposed for Smoking Within 30m of Daycare Centers and Schools...Local Governments Busy Enforcing

Law Enforcement from the 17th of Next Month
10,000 KRW Fine for Smoking Near Daycare Centers, Kindergartens, and Schools
Local Governments Busy Promoting Smoking Cessation
Lowest Smoking Rates in Seocho and Jongno Districts
Jungnang District Has the Highest Smoking Rate in Seoul

With the revision of the National Health Promotion Act, the smoke-free zones around daycare centers, kindergartens, and elementary to high schools will be expanded starting from the 17th of next month. Previously, the smoke-free zone around daycare centers and kindergartens was within 10 meters from the facility boundary, but now it will be extended to within 30 meters, and smoke-free zones will be newly established around schools. The existing smoke-free zones set within a 50-meter radius from school entrances will remain in place.

From now on, a fine of 100,000 KRW will be imposed for smoking within these smoke-free zones. This is intended to reduce the harm of secondhand smoke to children and adolescents and to create a healthy educational environment.

Accordingly, local governments, which usually conduct practical smoking bans and smoking prevention activities, have also stepped up their efforts. Autonomous districts in Seoul are inspecting smoke-free facilities according to schedule and actively promoting by attaching smoke-free notices to these facilities.

In Gangnam-gu, which has a total of 31,793 smoke-free zones and accounts for 10.7% of all smoke-free zones in Seoul, smoking bans and guidance will be strengthened according to the implementation schedule. Following the expansion of smoke-free zones, Gangnam-gu will newly attach smoke-free notices to 296 facilities, including on-site guidance. Promotional activities such as installing banners and broadcasting promotional videos on apartment media boards will also be conducted.

Due to the law enforcement, the smoke-free zone boundaries in Gangnam-gu will be extended to 30 meters for a total of 296 locations, including 37 kindergartens, 176 daycare centers, and 83 elementary to high schools. For elementary to high schools, the existing management of smoke-free zones (absolute protection zones) within a 50-meter radius from school entrances will continue unchanged. Geumcheon-gu is also installing expanded smoke-free zone signs and road markings near kindergartens, daycare centers, and schools to raise residents' awareness of smoking cessation.

However, there are ambiguous aspects in applying the 30-meter boundary in actual enforcement. If the 30 meters are applied from the school fence, the scope is unclear, and the practicality of enforcement is also questioned. There is also a limitation in enforcement when smoking occurs on private property within 30 meters. Regarding this, a district office official explained, "The intention is to discourage smoking near daycare centers, kindergartens, and schools and to raise citizens' awareness about smoking."

From now on, no-smoking zones will be expanded around daycare centers, kindergartens, and elementary, middle, and high schools. In Seocho-gu, fines will be imposed for smoking near children's parks. Provided by Seocho-gu.

Meanwhile, each autonomous district is conducting various separate smoking cessation promotional activities. Seocho-gu designated the area within a 10-meter radius from the boundary of children's parks as a smoke-free zone on March 18 and, after a three-month guidance period, began enforcement activities from the 19th of last month.

Yeongdeungpo-gu is also expanding its “Mobile Smoking Cessation Clinic” project this year. The mobile smoking cessation clinic is a program where if five people wishing to quit smoking gather at a workplace and apply, a counselor visits the workplace or desired institution directly to provide services similar to those of a public health center smoking cessation clinic. Jung-gu has also visited seven schools, including Cheonggu Elementary, Daegyeong Middle, Hanyang Middle, and Seongdong High, since May, conducting smoking cessation counseling, education, and campaigns 19 times for 1,334 students.

Thanks to these efforts, the smoking rates in each autonomous district of Seoul have recently decreased noticeably. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Seocho-gu has the lowest smoking rate in Seoul at 11.4%, and Jongno-gu, with the second-lowest smoking rate, has dropped 29% from 18.6% five years ago to 13.2%. On the other hand, Jungnang-gu's smoking rate was 22.1%, significantly higher than the Seoul average of 16.6%, and it increased by 2.8% compared to five years ago.