Yangcheon-gu Designates All Taxi Stands as No-Smoking Zones... Enforcement Starting July
Published 05 Apr.2024 07:53(KST)
11 Taxi Stands Designated as Completely Non-Smoking Areas. After 3 Months of Guidance and Promotion, Enforcement Begins on 7/1
From July, a Fine of 100,000 KRW Will Be Imposed for Smoking Within 10m of Taxi Stands and Facility Boundaries
Yangcheon-gu (District Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it will designate all 11 taxi stands in the area as completely smoke-free zones to protect residents' health from secondhand smoke and create a pleasant smoke-free environment.
The newly designated smoke-free zones cover taxi stands and areas within 10 meters of the facility boundaries. Previously, the district collected public opinions for three weeks, and after three months of promoting the smoke-free zone designation and educating smokers, enforcement is planned to begin on July 1. A fine of 100,000 KRW will be imposed if smoking is detected in these zones.
Until now, the district has protected residents' health from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and created a clean and pleasant environment to prevent smoking-related damage by enacting the "Yangcheon-gu Secondhand Smoke Damage Prevention Ordinance" in 2011. It has designated and managed a total of 9,731 smoke-free zones, including urban parks and bus stops.
Additionally, to reduce the smoking rate in the community, the district operates a year-round "Smoking Cessation Clinic" providing support programs consisting of three stages: preparation, practice, and maintenance of smoking cessation. Services include ▲smoking cessation counseling ▲provision of smoking cessation aids and behavioral reinforcement items (such as Eundan) ▲linkage to prescriptions for traditional Korean medicine smoking cessation treatments and smoking cessation medications.
Furthermore, to increase accessibility to smoking cessation services, a "Mobile Smoking Cessation Clinic" staffed by professional smoking cessation counselors visits workplaces and other locations within the district.
Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, stated, "To reduce the harm caused by secondhand smoke, following the designation of bus stops as smoke-free zones in 2014 and village bus stops in 2017, this year we are expanding the designation to include all taxi stands." He added, "Please consider smoking cessation not as a restriction but as a 'health etiquette' that shows consideration for our families and neighbors, and we hope for your active participation."
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