Koreans and Tobacco
Koreans in their most – passionate smokers, and for me for all the years of life in Korea almost did not have to see there non-smoking men, although smoking Korean, on the contrary – rarity. Statistics argue that almost 89% of adult men in Korea or smoke, or smoked earlier, but were disconnected to abandon this for medical reasons. Among women, smokers make up only 8%.
Tobacco in Korea appeared three centuries ago. Tobacco is, as you know, american plant. When Spanish conquistadors, in the footsteps of Columbus moved to America, for the first time saw smoking Indians, they were quite surprised, but soon they themselves adopted this habit. From Spain, she spread first in Europe, and then – and around the world. Since at the end of the XVI century, Japan kept active trade with Europe (later this trade was banned by the Japanese government), then the tobacco somewhere in the 1590s turned out to be listed in Japan, and soon he got into Korea. For the first time in Korea, Tobacco is mentioned in one of the documents dated 1618 by. Called it then "Japanese grass" or "Southern potion" — In memory of the origin ("South" Because the Portuguese and Spaniards sailed in Korea and Japan from the south, and often called "southern barbarians"). However, they imported tobacco and from China, where he got at the same time. Soon when many were addicted to the smoking in Korea, tobacco began to grow here and here. However, the Korean climate is not very suitable for this thermal-loving plant, so Korean tobacco is not the best quality.
In ancient times, Koreans smoked tubes. And now such pipes can often be seen here in souvenir shops, although they have not yet been used to directly appoint. Korean tubes were thin and very long (up to a meter, or even more in length), at the end of the wooden lettuce there was a small metal cup. Up to the start of our century, most Koreans did not part with the tubes for a minute. On vintage drawings, you can often see groups of slower smokers. In those days, the Korea smoked a lot and women, especially the elderly. It is curious that when, at the end of the last century, the Japanese, gradually set the control over Korea, began a campaign to eradicate Korean customs, they, among other things, began to ban and smoking these long tubes.
In the old days, smoking in the presence of the elder was considered in Korea riding an hopelessness. If it came about smoking in the presence of a high-ranking official, then it was just a direct offense. Proshchubin, who did not take out the phone from his mouth at that moment, when the street was passing down the street, the dignity of high rank was expected. Remains of such a relationship to smoking are preserved and nowadays. And now, for example, students (who, remind, in their overwhelming majority smoke), seeing professors, hastily take out cigarettes from the mouth.
Cigarettes and cigarettes appeared in Korea at the beginning of our century, but they truly entered in life after the war, in the past few decades, when they finally displaced the tubes. Now Koreans smoke mostly cigarettes with filter. Price pack of cigarettes in Korea ranges from one to one and a half hundred dollars.
Smoking of men until recently was an unshakable tradition, but a cigarette in the hands of a woman called (and, in general, still causes) a considerable condemnation. And today they smoke only 8% of Korean. This is mainly representatives of one of three categories: either older peasants who preserve the faithfulness of century-old traditions; or dashing girls from all kinds of suspicious institutions; Either, finally, the emancipated ladies from the local bohemian, for whom smoking is a demonstrative call to the Eastball. True, recently to delay the cigarette is permissible for "Larshs from a decent family", But under one condition: it can smoke only indoors, and in a narrow circle of friends. Permissible for a woman to delay the cigarette IV cafe, but here’s smoking on the street (and at work) places – still male privilege.
Only in recent years in Korea began to penetrate the campaign against smoking, which from the end of the eighties successfully passes in most developed countries, first of all – in America. In recent years, it is increasingly necessary to prohibit smoking in public places in Korea. So, it is impossible to smoke in the subway, at airports, in some institutions. In addition, three years ago it was decided to remove the cuts from the streets on trade in cigarettes, which used to come across very often. It is explained by the fact that in the vehicles cigarettes could also buy adolescents, while selling tobacco products in Korea is allowed only to persons who have reached the age of 18 (violating the prohibition of the merchant is waiting for a considerable penalty). All these measures seem to give a certain effect, and the share of smokers, as well as the number of non-smoking diseases, we gradually go down.
