The National Assembly endorsed the government plan to raise tobacco tax early this week, allowing the increase of cigarette prices to 4,500 won per pack from the current average of 2,500 won.
The Assembly’s relatively quick action stemmed partly from the tobacco tax revision bill’s connection to next year’s government spending plan, which the parliament was obliged to pass by the Dec. 2 legal deadline.
Whatever its background may be, it is fortunate that the nation has finally joined the global trend in raising prices to curb consumption of tobacco products.
Officials estimate that the price hike, which will take effect Jan. 1 next year, will cut tobacco sales by 34 percent. That would lower the smoking rate ― which is one of the highest among advanced economies, at 42.5 percent for men ― to 35 percent by 2016.
This, however, still falls far short of the 28 percent average of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
It is disappointing in this regard that the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee dropped the government’s proposal to require tobacco makers to feature graphic health risk warnings on their packaging.
Lawmakers said that they took out the proposal from the revision bill to the Health Promotion Law because it has nothing to do with the increase of tobacco tax. This does not sound convincing, and it is not surprising that civic groups and other advocates of visual warnings immediately accused the lawmakers of giving in to industry lobbying.
Their point is well grounded. At least nine bills have been drawn up since 2002 to introduce graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging, but all of them fizzled out due to parliamentary inaction.
This goes against the global trend. Since Canada first adopted graphic warnings in 2000, at least 77 countries have followed suit. Korea, as a signatory of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, is also required to introduce the antismoking measure.
There is no doubt that tobacco use endangers human health and causes huge socioeconomic costs, and the government has an obligation to curb smoking by all means.
Besides prices, visual warnings about the health risks of smoking are one of the most effective means to encourage smokers, especially the youths, to kick the habit.
The Health Ministry has already been broadcasting vivid images of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking on television. The National Assembly has no reason whatsoever to stand in the way of the government’s endeavors to fight smoking.
