The research aims to quantitatively measure how smoking affects productivity, and provide a way ahead for building a new anti-smoking program and preventive health policies. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — The government for the very first time has embarked on an investigation to find out how smoking can affect productivity during work.
While there were assessments on the negative economic effects of smoking, such as higher medical bills, a study on the loss of productivity is the first of its kind.
The National Tobacco Control Center (NTCC) announced that it will be outsourcing its research project on how smoking affects the loss of labor and the policies needed to prevent it.
The deadline for the research project is July 31, 2020, and the budget has been set at 90 million won (US$77,693).
The research aims to quantitatively measure how smoking affects productivity, and provide a way ahead for building a new anti-smoking program and preventive health policies.
NTCC pointed out that smoking poses a risk to a worker’s respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive systems, which not only threatens the worker’s health, but also their work.
The center also argued that smoking during work leads to a loss of productivity and increases the risk of fire, which undermines the efficiency of an organization.
The study will estimate the level of health and productivity loss by smokers at work, and compare them with non-smoking workers to deduce factors that influence the act and amount of smoking at work.
The study will also analyze various patterns of smoking, the level of understanding on the loss of productivity due to smoking, and the need for businesses to understand more about government policies against smoking.
The National Health Insurance Service Health and Insurance Policy Institute reported that socioeconomic costs caused by smoking amounted to 7.1 trillion won (US$6.1 billion) in 2013.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
