[The Hankyoreh] Seocho District (Mayor Jeon Seong-soo) announced that it was the only district among the autonomous districts of Seoul to be recognized as an outstanding institution in two categories, winning the top prize (1st place) in the “2024 Seoul Non-Smoking City Achievement Awards” for creating a smoke-free environment and an encouragement award (3rd place) in the youth smoking prevention category.
The event, held at Seoul City Hall on December 4, aimed to discover and promote best practices in creating smoke-free environments, smoking cessation support services, and youth smoking prevention.
Seocho District was recognized for its efforts to eliminate “no-smoking blind spots” with its unique initiative, “No-Dam (No Cigarettes) in Seocho,” which incorporates digital technology in its non-smoking policies and child health protection.
Seocho District was the first in the country to introduce QR code guidance signs for outdoor smoking and non-smoking areas, reducing smoking in non-smoking zones and supplementing the limitations of enforcement personnel. When scanned with a smartphone, the QR codes provide map-based information on smoking and non-smoking areas within a 200m radius. A comparison of enforcement cases before and after the introduction of the QR signs in the high-smoking area near the express bus terminal showed approximately a 25% reduction in violations. As of November, the QR code signs had been accessed 15,011 times.
In March of this year, Seocho District also became the first to designate areas within 10 meters of 72 children’s parks as non-smoking zones, contributing to the prevention of second-hand smoke and the resolution of no-smoking blind spots. A survey conducted six months after implementation revealed that 53.5% of 1,399 respondents reported a decrease in smoking around children’s parks, and 79.2% expected the prevention of second-hand smoke.
To prevent youth smoking, Seocho District operates programs like the anti-smoking education “Healthy-Heyoung” and the “Youth Harmful Environment Community Mapping Project,” continuing its efforts to establish a smoke-free environment. These policies have led to a decrease in smoking rates, with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s “Community Health Survey” showing that Seocho District’s smoking rate in 2023 (11.4%) was the lowest compared to the Seoul city average (16.6%).
Mayor Jeon Seong-soo of Seocho District expressed his delight at the national recognition of Seocho’s leading anti-smoking initiatives and stated, “We will continue to implement diverse anti-smoking policies that residents can feel, aiming to build a healthy city in Seocho.” For inquiries, contact the Health Management Division at 02-2155-8100.
(Seoul& Editorial Team)