Smokers - how has your smoking changed since you've been in Korea?

[dazedandconfused1985]

I still smoke like a chimney at weekends, but I've cut down during the week. It's impossible to drink alcohol and not have a cigarette, how do people quit?!

[calum]

I think the fact that cigarettes are so cheaper over here and weaker has contributed to me smoking a pack a day. I used to smoke half a back home. I can get through three or four over the weekend. It maybe time to quit for me.

[will141414]

and one man spat at me.

GOOD FOR HIM!  Smoking is disgusting, you STINK and with your "second hand smoke" you are killing me!  (especially the KOREAN men here!)

There is nothing positive about this weak willed habit smokers have!!

[pinkynj]

@ wanderingemily... I am 100 per cent with you!

The most funniest scene last night... I was leaving Lotte (Centum City, Busan) last night and they have a number of benches dotted around outside with a few hedges. So, I noticed a number of the women were turned facing the hedge and some were facing the pedestrian path. It then dawned on me that ALL the women facing the hedge were smoking and those facing the path were not. There is a very small part of me that finds this quite entertaining  !

[ShinYaguchi]

On the few times I do smoke, I've been smoking Mild Sevens, but what Korean cigs do ya'll recommend?
My brother keeps begging me to get him some good Korean smokes.

[lula]

Wow !!! You get to smoke in between every period and you have a smoking room. Ofcourse it's a males smoking room. That actually bothers me how the male teachers can go and smoke but I can't. But I am trying to cut back. Since moving here I have been smoking a lot more. I am trying to smoke only 4 a day now. Excercising helps! Also sucking on lollipops helps too

[Venus]

I used to be a regular smoker back home but these days in Korea I hardly smoke at all. I don't like the stigma attached to femals smokers but more than that, I think I stopped because here it's still so widespread in public places and I don't like the idea of all that 'free' smoke around non-smokers.

[strkwtr]

i smoke when i drink or if i've had an extremely stressful day, i may smoke one at home. but in my town, unless in my apartment where no one can see me, i don't smoke. i was never a full blown smoker, maybe a pack every 2 weeks - 2 months.
all in all, i'd say it hasn't changed for me since coming here

[Manyisa_1]

Just on a side note.Does South Korea actually have any sin tax on smokes?

Since 2005 they have been hovering at 2500 won.If the health people get their way,apparently the price could jump to to 8000 won 

That would be such a flame if it happened.I could see myself cutting down real fast or else stock while they are at 2500.Just a thought.

[Mr. Mac]

I had the same issues at first in Korea. Often out at bars etc where the air is so clogged with 2nd hand smoke that you could carve it with a knife. It seemed impossible to quit. But one of my friends who had quit smoking a few years ago told me how he managed it. He set a goal to stop by the time he reached a certain age, then he did it. I followed suit a bit over 2 years ago and haven't once either drunk or sober, inhaled another cigarette into my lungs. At first I substituted them for 'Twix' bars, as I found it much easier to quit the chocolate bars (though I'm still somewhat partial to them)

Morale of the story: How often do you actually give yourself something worthwhile for your birthday? A raging hangover for 3 days doesn't count LOL. You will never regret quitting smoking, ever, ever, ever.

So I have been a non-smoker in Korea for 2 years, though I still get the urges when I am travelling for some reason. But I know now that I am strong enough to resist them. I have never regretted quitting. It also becomes a milestone of strength in your life. When you can give up the most addictive legal substance on earth, cold and clean, you know that you can do anything

[sbeznicki]

I don't smoke as much anymore because cigarettes are too expensive. I have better things to spend my money on.

[teacher25]

I smoke WAY more!! Ciggies are a fraction of the cost as they are in Australia... It's so hard to resist, especially after a bottle of soju 

[willem.n.dutoit]

I quit smoking for almost a year before coming to Korea and started as soon as I saw how cheap they were here!!

[Manyisa_1]

Oh dear,the price of smokes has gone up!!!Better cut back on that intake.

They were 2500 won and now they are 2700 won.Boy am i screwed.

[rogue85]

I smoke a lot less than I did when I was back home because I can't smoke at school. I was super bummed about not being able to smoke during the day at first but now I'm grateful cos it just means I enjoy a cig so much more when I get home from school 
It's fantastic that they are sooooo cheap too!!!!!