North Korea has fewer smokers, no women smokers

North Korea has banned foreign cigarettes, reportedly as part of efforts to reduce the country’s high smoking rate, according to a story in The Korea Times (Seoul).

“We have also prohibited people from using electronic cigarettes and smokeless cigarettes,” Choi Hyun-sook, a high-ranking official at the health ministry, was quoted as telling the Korean Central News Agency on Saturday.

“To create a social environment where non-smoking is encouraged, the North has enforced strict smoking bans in public areas such as educational institutions or health facilities, and launched hygiene promotion campaigns.”

The official said the anti-smoking movement had helped reduce the smoking rate among men from 50.3 percent in 2009 to 43.9 percent in 2014. There were said to be no women smokers.

“The number of young smokers has sharply decreased due to the toughened education in schools and society,” he said.