By Good luck with this:
(image)As Seoul City plans to launch a two-day campaign that would ban smoking in public locations starting today, the urgency to block secondhand smoking is being highlighted once again.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will go ahead with a campaign called “Zero secondhand smoking” around Jongno Sam-ga Station and Sadang Station from 4-8 p.m.
City officials will operate mobile non-smoking clinics for smokers and distribute brochures about the hazardous effects of secondhand or passive smoke.
This is part of Seoul City’s effort to construct a smoke-free city and attract 12 million more tourists to the city by 2010.
So far, it has prohibited smoking at all bus stops and a number of parks in Seoul – including family-oriented Seoul Grand Park and Children’s Grand Park – were named as smoke-free areas.
The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs is also pushing measures to ban smoking at all public locations populated by teenagers, such as PC rooms and restaurants. [Korea Herald]
How come I think this will be as effective as the city’s anti-prostitution campaign?
6:21 am on December 10th, 2008 1
I agree, attempting to reduce second-had smoke in South Korea will probably have little effect.
If the South Korean gov't want to address a public health issue, it is perhaps best to take preventive measures against obesity. While it is true at the moment that South Korea is not experiencing adipose augmentation amongst its populace such as the US, it is nevertheless a problem that looms on the horizon.
The basis for my conjecture you ask? US service personnel and in particular the obese spouses that they haul in with them (Oye! That's one back breaking task!!!) If public health studies are correct, obesity is in many ways a contagious element:
[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725175419.htm]
Having shamelessly gluttonous individuals roaming (nay, rolling) around Korea doesn't bode well for the current trimness of Korean citizens. I suggest that the Korean gov't take two possible steps: 1) Do not allow service personnel to bring their spouses or other chubby family members with them. Or 2) force service personnel's spouses to maintain a reasonable weight.
I think taking these simple precautions will do more for the overall public health of Korean citizens than any quixotic attempts at reducing second-hand smoke.
11:24 pm on December 11th, 2008 2
If you think these folks are fat you have never been to a Wal-mart. There they have specially designed powered shopping carts for the real heavys to scoot around in to buy their cookies, chips and diet soda.
4:02 am on December 12th, 2008 3
Suffice it to say Pete, I have been to Wal-Mart and actually find it to be a wonderful place for one to do their shopping.
That being said, I do agree that the sheer number of obese and slovenly individuals rummaging through the aisles at Wal-Mart is by no stretch of the imagination an uplifting scene.
Those merry Kulturkampf warriors on the right would like for America to think that the slice of America that shops at Wal-Marts across the nation are the paragons of the small town virtues of thrift, self-restraint, and moral rectitude. Looking at the individuals who shop at Wal-Mart, however, clearly belies that notion.