What’s inside a cigarette? Korea to make the List public (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will begin publicly disclosing detailed lists of harmful substances contained in tobacco products starting next year, as part of its expanded efforts to strengthen public health protections.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Thursday that the decision was approved at the inaugural session of the Tobacco Harm Management Policy Committee held earlier in the day.
Under the Tobacco Harm Management Act, which took effect on November 1, tobacco manufacturers and importers must test their products for harmful substances every two years and submit the results to the Food and Drug Safety Ministry by the end of June. The ministry will then release the findings on its official website.
The committee — composed of 15 members, including government officials, scientists, and consumer representatives — finalized the list of toxic substances to be monitored and the testing standards to be applied.
For conventional cigarettes and heated tobacco products, 44 toxic substances, including tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, and benzene, will be tested. For liquid-type e-cigarettes, 20 substances such as nicotine, propylene glycol, and formaldehyde will be subject to examination. Testing will follow international standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Officials said the move aims to increase transparency and public access to information about the health risks associated with smoking.
“The government will continue expanding the list of monitored substances as new testing methods become available,” the Health Ministry said in a statement. The Food and Drug Safety Ministry added that the new system “lays a scientific and objective foundation for tobacco harm management and will provide the public with transparent information.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
