A no-smoking sign is marked on a street in central Seoul on May 31, 2022. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) — A majority of smokers in South Korea believe that compensation aids in smoking cessation, with many expressing a preference for monetary compensation, a report showed Sunday.
According to the report published by the Korean Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 69.3 percent of smokers believed that providing compensation would motivate them to quit smoking for a duration of six months.
Additionally, 67.7 percent believed that such compensation would assist in achieving permanent cessation, while 68.6 percent believed it would support them in maintaining abstinence.
To aid smokers in their cessation efforts, the government has implemented a national smoking cessation support program.
As part of the program, individuals who successfully quit smoking for six months receive gifts such as miniature humidifiers, massagers, and scales.
Nearly half of the participants (41.7 percent) acknowledged that the provision of gifts contributes to their attempts to quit smoking, while 52.5 percent stated that the gifts help them sustain their smoke-free lifestyle.
Furthermore, the data revealed that 77.9 percent of current male smokers, 78 percent of current female smokers, and 75 percent of past male smokers believed that a prize exceeding 100,000 won (US$75.30) would suffice as a reward for successfully quitting smoking.
The study, conducted in September 2018, enlisted the participation of 1,147 smokers in South Korea through online means.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
