Sejong city reports lowest smoking, drinking, and obesity rates

[Anchor]

As the new year approaches, many people are setting health management goals.

According to the national health status survey, both the smoking rate and drinking rate among our citizens have increased compared to last year.

By region, Gangwon Province had the highest rates, while Sejong City had the lowest.

Joo Hyun-ji reports.

[Report]

At a convenience store in Seoul.

The number of smokers looking for electronic cigarettes has noticeably increased these days.

Electronic cigarettes are being sold at a rate almost similar to that of regular cigarettes.

[Convenience store owner: "I think the sales of electronic cigarettes have grown to almost a 1:1 ratio with regular cigarettes in about five years. Now, even middle-aged and older people are increasingly smoking electronic cigarettes."]

A survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency from May to July on 230,000 adults also showed that the usage rate of electronic cigarettes has increased compared to the same period last year.

On the other hand, the smoking rate of regular cigarettes has slightly decreased compared to last year.

With the increase in electronic cigarette usage, the overall smoking rate has risen to 22.6%, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from last year.

By metropolitan area, the smoking rate of regular cigarettes was the lowest in Sejong City at 13.3%, while Gangwon Province had the highest at 21.2%.

In particular, the smoking rate in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, was about four times higher than that of Suji District in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, which had the lowest rate.

The monthly drinking rate, which refers to the percentage of people who have consumed alcohol at least once a month, is 58.3%.

This rate has increased for three consecutive years since 2022, following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The high-risk drinking rate, similar to the smoking rate, was also the lowest in Sejong City and the highest in Gangwon Province.

[Lee Soon-young/Professor at Ajou University School of Medicine: "Generally, areas with good economic or educational levels tend to have more desirable behaviors. Socioeconomic conditions have a significant impact..."]

The obesity rate, which refers to the percentage of people with a body mass index of 25 or higher, was highest in Jeonnam Province and Jeju, while Sejong had the lowest.

This is KBS News, Joo Hyun-ji.