The Awareness and Countermeasures against Harmful Effect of Passive Smoking in Korean Adult

Objectives : This study is to evaluate the awareness, attitude, practice and the countermeasures against passive smoking in Korean adults. Methods : By self-administered questionnaires, we assessed the knowledge, attitude, behavior for passive smoking and the countermeasure for reduction of it's harmful effects in 289 men and 238 women. Results : The subjects that have heard about passive smoking were 96.8% in total and well known were 26.4% of current smoker, 56.6% of ex-smoker, and 14.8% of non-smoker(p=0.001). The irritative symptom from passive smoking was the most frequent in non-smokers and the most common place where exposed to passive smoking was public place. For attitude against passive smoking in 'no smoking allowed area', ex-smokers were the most active to recommend to stop smoking. And for opinion about establishment of 'no smoking allowed area', the restriction by law was the best acceptable method in smokers, exsmokers, and nonsmokers. In marking of 'no smoking allowed area', 69.9% of smokers answered no smoking, but in non-marking area only 6.3% stop smoking. When smokers were recommended to stop smoking, the more subjects stop smoking with good feeling in marking area, but the less in non-marking area. The factor associated the high awareness of passive smoking were aged(OR=1.07, 1.03-1.12), men(OR=4.34, 2.32-8.46). The persons who have known well about passive smoking had good attitude and behavior to prevent of harmful effect of passive smoking. Conclusions : This study suggested that education program would be necessary to reduce the passive smoking.