Anti-smoking Measures Getting Stricter

In the past the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has conducted various anti-smoking activities according to the Law of the DPRK on Tobacco Control.

The country has made it mandatory to print warnings against smoking on cigarette packets and developed various anti-smoking means like pills and adhesives. But these have had limited effect on smokers. 

“Following the adoption of the Law of the DPRK on Tobacco Control in Juche 109 (2020), social climate against smoking has intensified and grown stricter,” says Ri Hui Gyong, head of an anti-smoking research and dissemination institute.

The law consisting of 31 articles stipulates intensive legal and social control over the production and sale of cigarettes and smoking and duties of organs, institutes and citizens related with them.

Accordingly, smoking is prohibited in public places, commercial and amenity facilities, areas which are vulnerable to fire risk and other areas which are prone to explosion, to say nothing of childcare institutes, educational organs and medical institutes which have already been defined as non-smoking places. And penalty is imposed on any individuals, organs and institutes which have violated this law. The country allows only approved commercial organs to sell cigarettes so as to decrease the sale of cigarettes.  

Meanwhile, central public health organs and anti-smoking research and dissemination institutes have established nationwide anti-smoking service system, and proactively conduct various activities like information work, consultation and recommendation of therapies.

Now anti-smoking activities have become part of compulsory work of all the citizens for their own health and civilized society, and are growing more intensive day by day.