Second-hand smoking: destructive looting

King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty was a heavy smoker. He overly raised cigarettes in his writing “Hongjaejeonseo.” He wrote, “As the fiery energy attacks the cold phlegm, what blocked my chest disappeared naturally. It is the power that controls my mind when I think deeply about what I would gain and lose in politics.” He even tried to promote smoking nationwide. He also wrote, “I would like to give them (cigarettes) to the people in my country and have them enjoy the benefits. By doing so, I would like to repay some of the debts I owe to the love from the heaven and the earth.”

Cigarettes used to represent being chic and intelligent. On the question asking what the most important thing is in his life, French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said, “Maybe everything including living and smoking.” Actor James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause” has become a symbol of a rebel in a leather jacket and a cigarette. Like an ad with a cowboy hat and a cigarette, cigarettes began to represent masculinity.

Things changed dramatically in 1954 when benzopyrene, a carcinogen, was discovered in cigarette smoke. In the same year, a lung cancer patient filed a lawsuit against a tobacco company. Later, dozens of carcinogens and thousands of chemical substances were found additionally. Smokers have won in suits against cigarette companies since 1998 when tobacco companies lost in lawsuits for the first time. Korea mandated a disclaimer to be placed on cigarette packages in 1976 and has strengthened its non-smoking policy.

The National Assembly has sponsored a bill mandating local governments to designate a non-smoking street. It caused a backlash from smokers who claim that it is an excessive regulation and it is doubtful whether it can be effectively enforced. Now what can you do? You cannot bring King Jeongjo of 200 years ago and cafes in Paris where people discussed philosophy in thick smoke do not have smoke any more. Sartre praised cigarettes as a “destructive ownership.” Smokers, however, have to think that their “philosophical activities” in both the indoor and outdoor environment can be “destructive looting.”

City Desk Reporter Kim Jae-yeong (redfoot@donga.com)