Gwangju Seo-gu Awarded Minister of Health and Welfare Commendation for Excellence in Creating a Smoke-Free Environment

Published 14 Jun.2023 13:39(KST)

Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Seo-gu Mayor Kim Ikang) was selected as an excellent institution in the ‘2022 Local Community Smoking Cessation Environment Creation Project Best Practice Evaluation’ and received a commendation from the Minister of Health and Welfare.

According to Seo-gu on the 14th, this evaluation, hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, was conducted to discover best practices that succeeded in creating a smoking cessation environment in local communities nationwide.

Commemorative Photo for Minister's Commendation in the Field of Creating a Smoke-Free Environment <br>[Photo by Seogu]

Commemorative Photo for Minister's Commendation in the Field of Creating a Smoke-Free Environment
[Photo by Seogu]

Among the 31 health centers selected in the first round, a panel consisting of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Health Promotion Institute, and private experts in the relevant field conducted a document review and selected 12 centers, with Seo-gu being the only district among the five districts of Gwangju.

Seo-gu focused on blocking secondhand smoke by establishing a public-private cooperation base at 65 locations, strengthening smoking control and guidance at about 10,000 locations, and designating and operating clean autonomous facilities. Efforts were also made to expand the designation of non-smoking zones such as four multi-family housing complexes and school commuting routes.

In addition, smoking prevention and cessation education tailored to different life stages was conducted, drawing the participation of about 6,000 people, which was evaluated as an excellent case.

Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu, said, “We will promote effective smoking cessation projects through public-private cooperation and strive to create a smoking cessation atmosphere for the healthy lives of residents.”

Meanwhile, Seo-gu is carrying out various activities such as providing smoking cessation counseling services, a mobile smoking cessation clinic visiting workplaces, and periodic smoking prevention campaigns to reduce smoking rates and prevent secondhand smoke exposure.