Korea gaining on the swings but …

One in three people in South Korea is obese, a record 23.2 percent of the country’s women are heavy drinkers, but tobacco smoking among men has dropped to an all-time low, according to a story in The Korea Herald citing official statistics.

These are said to be the key findings of the annual Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was due to be released today by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The smoking rate among men dropped to a record low in 2015, dipping below 40 percent for the first time, the study found.

About 39.3 percent of Korean men aged 19 or older were smokers last year, down 3.8 percentage points from the previous year’s 43.1 percent. That marks the lowest level since data began to be complied in 1998.

The male smoking rate has been generally declining since peaking at 66.3 percent in 1998. The number fell below 50 percent by 2007 and continued to fall, reaching 42.1 percent in 2013. The exception was in 2014 when it rose to 43.1 percent.

The percentage of teenage smokers has also declined, dropping from 14.3 percent in 2005 to 9.6 percent in 2015 – the first time it had fallen below 10 percent.

The Ministry of Health said the declines in the numbers of male and teenage smokers were attributable to anti-smoking policies, such as the expansion of no-smoking areas and increases in cigarette prices.

The smoking rate among men includes those who have smoked more than five packs or 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and are still smoking. For teenagers, the rate is calculated by counting those who have smoked at least once in the month before the survey was carried out.