As part of a tobacco free initiative agreed last week by countries in the Western Pacific region, the Korean government has set a target of reducing the nation`s smoking rate by 10 percent over the coming five years, health officials said yesterday.

The World Health Organization has helped its member states fighting against the smoking issue by offering five-year plans since 1990. The pact signed last Wednesday is the latest, updated version of a package of six policies to reduce the demand for and consumption of tobacco products.

The package includes: monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; protect people from tobacco smoke; offer help to quit tobacco use; warn about the dangers of tobacco; enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and raise taxes on tobacco.



Under the Regional Action Plan enforced from next year through 2014, the nation`s current tobacco use among adults and youths is expected to be reduced by 10 percent from the most recent baseline. More than 60 percent of taxes will be imposed on tobacco, as well.

As WHO points out the tobacco industry`s lobbying activities and partnership with governments, policymakers and researchers is one of the biggest obstacles in tackling the smoking issue, all member countries should launch national plans based on the target and indicators set by the international health organization.

According to WHO, the Western Pacific is the only region where all eligible parties have ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which was adopted at the World Health Assembly in 2003.

"(However,) the Western Pacific region has the greatest number of smokers, among the highest rates of male smoking prevalence, and the fastest increase of tobacco use uptake by women and young people, in comparison with the other five WHO regions," said the pact.

In the preface of the initiative, the WHO also reaffirmed that smoking is "the leading preventable cause of death globally. More than 5 million people die worldwide from the effects of tobacco every year - more than from HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

The nation`s smoking rate had been falling since 2005 when the government signed the treaty on tobacco control and started to launch non-smoking campaigns.

After toughened measures were taken on smoking, the adult smoking rate steadily decreased from 57.8 percent in 2004 to 52.3 percent in 2005, 44.1 percent in 2006 and 42 percent in 2007. But the figure hovered above the 40 percent range recently and started to increase from the second half of last year, according to the latest report in July.

People`s financial pressure caused by the global economic crisis has been suggested as one of the main reasons for the increase. Health officials say, however, the slight increase seems to be driven more by the weakening effect of related policies.

"During the early period of smoking regulations, the smoking rate dropped sharply. But those measures are losing momentum after five years and we plan to overhaul the overall current policies," said a ministry official.

(jylee@heraldm.com)

By Lee Ji-yoon