SEOUL, KOREA - After the government announces that it would raise the price of cigarettes by 80 percent from January next year, the sales of alternative tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes are rising quickly.

 

 

 

According to 11st on September 14, an online shopping mall, the sales of electronic cigarettes for the 11-day period this month rose 422 percent from the same period last year. Other online markets such as G-Market and Auction reported that their sales of electronic cigarettes jumped more than ten-folds from the same period in 2013. In addition, other products helping smokers quit smoking such as a device to measure the carbon monoxide level in the blood have been selling well immediately after the announcement.

 

On September 11, Minister of Health & Welfare Moon Hyung-pyo announced a comprehensive plan to discourage smoking. He said in an economic ministers meeting on the same day, "Effective on January 1, 2015, the government will raise the price of a pack of cigarettes to 4,500 won from 2,500 won and keep raising the price in the future in proportion to consumer price inflation."

 

According to the government, the 2,000-won increase will include a variety of taxes including excise tax, public health fund charge, waste treatment tax, and the like. In particular, the share of the public health fund charge will be increased to 18.7 percent from the current 14.2 percent. In addition, the government will strengthen the level of warning on the cigarette package in graphic and warning messages. It will also ban any promotional activity such as posters within retail establishments and sponsorships.