There were distinctive differences in smoking area preferences between men and women. (image: Osan City Office)
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — According to a recent survey, male and female smokers differ in their preferences for designated smoking areas.
It turns out that men usually smoke outside, while women tend to prefer smoking inside.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs conducted a national survey of 3,200 smokers.
Based on the results, the most popular smoking areas were ‘buildings and designated smoking areas’, accounting for 71 percent, followed by ‘smoking rooms within a building’, accounting for 32 percent and ‘sidewalk’, at 28 percent.
However, there were distinctive differences in smoking area preferences between men and women.
Women smoked more indoors than men, such as in the bathroom or the veranda of their home or other buildings.
On the other hand, men were significantly more likely to smoke outside and on the sidewalk.
In addition, 82 percent of male smokers used regular cigarettes, and 15.7 percent used electronic cigarettes. Meanwhile, 4 percent more female smokers preferred regular cigarettes compared to men.
Furthermore, male smokers started smoking at 19.2 years old, compared to 19.9 years old for women.
Some 66 percent of smokers have tried to cut down on smoking, while 46.4 percent have tried to quit completely.
The main reasons for quitting smoking were health, accounting for 61 percent, and ‘concerns over second-hand smoke’, accounting for 17 percent.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
