Proximity of E-cigarette Stores to Schools in South Korea

In the Gyeonggi region of South Korea, electronic cigarette shops are being set up near primary, middle and high schools, making it easier for young people to access electronic cigarettes. However, within regulations, these shops are not classified as harmful facilities for young people. Thus, there is an urgent need for institutions to regulate them.

On the morning of the 20th, students were seen passing by an electronic cigarette store located on Deonggye-ro in the Yongtong district of Suwon city, Gyeonggi Province (image source: Kyonggi Ilbo).

In the neighborhood of Haoyuan in the Lingtong district of Suwon City, there is an electronic cigarette shop with a large sign that reads "Electronic Cigarettes" located about 25 meters from the area. Most significantly, within a radius of 200 meters around the shop, there are primary schools, Meidan Middle School, and Haoyuan High School. Students who attend makeup classes during the holidays often pass by the shop on their way to school and are often curious to peek inside. Eighteen-year-old high school student Han Tae-in said, "Every time I pass by this place, I always get curious and often go to take a look.

The situation in Yu Jing Town, Qixing District, Longren City is similar. A photo of an electronic cigarette emitting smoke outside a store located just 50 meters from the school gate has attracted the attention of students. Additionally, there is a music college where students attend classes on the same building's third floor, making it easy for them to access the store.

According to the Education Environment Act, a radius of 200 meters around the school boundary is defined as an Education Environment Protection Zone. In order to protect the health, hygiene, safety, and educational environment of students, tobacco vending machines installed by designated retailers and other tobacco salesmen are prohibited in this area under the Korean Tobacco Law. According to data from the Gyeonggi Province Education Department, the number of prohibited actions and facilities within the Education Environment Protection Zone has been increasing each year, reaching 74 cases in 2019, 126 cases in 2020, and 148 cases in 2021.

However, some have pointed out that while e-cigarette shops are not considered harmful facilities, they should not be located within educational protection zones as students are being lured into harmful environments without any warning. In fact, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the proportion of teenagers using liquid e-cigarettes has been gradually increasing from 2.2% in 2017, to 2.7% in 2018, and 3.2% in 2019. Although there was a brief decline to 1.9% in 2020, the figure has since risen again to 2.9% in 2021, indicating an overall upward trend.

Ik-joong Jeong, a professor of social welfare at Ritsumeikan University, suggests that shops selling electronic cigarettes should not be allowed near schools and regulations should be put in place to protect students from the harmful effects of such products. He also recommends rules regarding provocative advertising and prevention education to be implemented concurrently.

An official from the Ministry of Education stated that "according to current laws, shops selling electronic cigarettes are not considered dangerous facilities, so it is difficult to shut them down.

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