South Korea: Women Smokers Start Habit Out of Curiosity [08/29-3]
Excerpts from: One in Two Women Smokers Starts Habit Out of Curiosity
By Byun Duk-kun The
Korea Times [08/29/03]
Almost one in every two female smokers was found to have started smoking out
of simple curiosity.
Kim Ae-suk, a graduate of the Graduate School of Public Administration at Kyung
Hee University, revealed in her thesis that more than 46 percent of female smokers
start smoking just because they are curious what it is like.
A survey, conducted by Kim on 342 female students in their 20s, also revealed
that more than 33 percent of female students were addicted to the potentially
hazardous habit.
The survey also showed that those who were brought up under a strict family environment
were more likely to start smoking,¡¯¡¯ she added.
More than 51 percent of female smokers surveyed said their parents were very
strict, while only 29 percent said their parents were open-minded. Kim said
such discrepancy is because the students believe smoking may reduce stress.
The survey also found that almost one in every five female smokers was encouraged
by their peers to start smoking. More than 19 percent of those surveyed said they
started lighting up at their friends¡¯ suggestion.
Smoking may seem cool for young students and it also spreads very fast when
even one out of a whole group of friends smokes.
Younger children are even more vulnerable to such temptations to look cool,
because their values or priorities are yet to be fixed, according to Kim.
This information is presented as a public service by:
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
2013 H Street NW / Washington, DC 20006 / (202) 659-4310
A national nonprofit, scientific and educational organization founded in 1967.
All donations are fully tax deductible.
Material on this page may be freely reproduced, distributed, and circulated
with attribution given to Action on Smoking and Health.
Dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Warren Wells