"Smoking Ban in Public Places is Mandatory"... Songpa-gu Campaign in Habitual Smoking Areas

Campaign on Habitual Smoking Areas at Munjeong Culture Valley on the 10th... 2nd Session Following September 26
Promotion of Considerate No-Smoking Culture and E-Cigarette Harmfulness with 40 Residents and District/City Officials

Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced on the 10th that it will conduct a smoking cessation campaign to prevent secondhand smoke damage and promote the harmfulness of electronic cigarettes in areas with frequent smoking complaints.

The area around the Sunken Plaza in Munjeong Culture Valley, an office-dense district, is a place where many pedestrians suffer inconvenience due to habitual group smoking. Despite continuous guidance and enforcement in response to ongoing complaints, group smoking in this area has not been eradicated. Accordingly, the district has prepared two campaigns to spread a considerate smoking culture around Munjeong Station.

On September 26, coinciding with the habitual smoking-heavy lunchtime, about 40 people including employees from related district departments, officials from Seoul City and the Seoul Smoking Cessation Support Center, and volunteers took to the streets for the first smoking cessation campaign.

In particular, the district made various efforts to build consensus among both smokers and non-smokers. They attracted attention with a street march featuring banners and a unique group flash mob, and encouraged pedestrian participation using simple content such as roulette games and smoking cessation quizzes.

Additionally, to prevent secondhand smoke damage, smokers were directly approached and guided to use nearby indoor smoking rooms, and education on the illegal disposal of cigarette butts was continued. The harmfulness of electronic cigarettes was promoted for personal health, and smoking cessation was suggested on-site while assisting with counseling and registration at the smoking cessation clinics operated by the district.

A district official who participated in the campaign said, “The area around Munjeong Station is a place with many conflicts among residents regarding street group smoking,” and added, “The participation of smokers is essential to create a considerate smoking culture free from secondhand smoke.”

The district plans to hold another smoking cessation campaign with local residents at the same location on the 10th to establish a proper smoking cessation culture.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “I hope this campaign will spread a mature smoking culture that respects the happiness of others,” and added, “We will continue to make administrative efforts to reduce the smoking rate with the health of district residents as our top priority.”