• April 19, 2024

Surprise: Study Finds Vapers Vape in No Smoking Zones

 Surprise: Study Finds Vapers Vape in No Smoking Zones

Credit Sungho Song

A recent survey from South Korea found that 8 in 10 South Korean e-cigarette users said they had secretly smoked stealthily in non-smoking areas. At 83.5 percent, the vast majority of e-cigarette users said they had vaped illegally, dwarfing the 16.5 percent who said they did not participate in such activity.

Busan Bridge at night South Korea
Credit Sungho Song

Under the National Health Promotion Act, those who use e-cigarettes in non-smoking areas can be fined, just like for smoking conventional tobacco cigarettes.Heat-not-burn products were not mentioned in the study and would face similar fines, according to a story by The Korea Bizwire.

A research team from the Asan Medical Center conducted a survey of 7,000 men and women between 20 and 69 years of age. Of the total, the number of people who had used e-cigarettes in the previous month stood at 394. Among vapers, 44.6 percent between 20 and 34 years old, while men accounted for 74.1 percent of the total.

Most participants said the smoked at home indoors, which accounted for the largest share at 46.9 percent, followed by private cars at 36.9 percent and outdoor non-smoking areas at 28.3 percent. Men and women accounted for 44 percent and 55.6 percent of the violators, respectively, indicating that more than half of female vapers users are vaping secretly at homes.