Cigarette sales saw a sharp decline at the start of the year on the back of a price hike, but those figures are back up to previous levels. Mike Balfour reports.


The smoking area is full. Some of these smokers say they tried to kick the habit earlier this year after cigarette prices went up, but… less than a year later, they are back to smoking again.

SYNC
Smoker
At first, the price increase was a big burden so I tried to cut down, but I guess I got used it. I’m back to smoking as much as I did before.
<싱크 : 흡연자>
"처음에는 상당히 부담스러워서 줄이다가 이제는 익숙해 졌다고 해야하나? 이제는 원래대로."

Sales of cigarettes in Jeju have almost rebounded to levels before the price hike.

### C.G IN
In January 2015, immediately after the prices went up, a total of 1.45 million packages of cigarettes were sold in Jeju. Last month, sales reached 5 million.
### C.G OUT

That’s almost the same level as the 5.1 million that were sold a month before cigarette prices went up. And the number of people turning to clinics that help smokers to quit smoking has dropped drastically.

### C.G IN
Over 900 people a month sought help from these centers earlier in the year, but recently that number has dropped to around 300 a month.
### C.G OUT

[INTERVIEW]
Kim Hee-gyeong / Jeju Health Center Stop-Smoking Clinic
You can increase your chance of quitting by visiting our clinic for consultations.
<인터뷰 : 김희경 / 제주보건소 금연클리닉>
"금연 클리닉을 찾게되면 여러가지 상담을 통해 금연율을 높이실 수 있습니다..."

[camera]
Hyeon Gwang-hoon

Cigarettes are known to contain carcinogens such as nickel, benzene and cadmium.

[reporter]
Mike Balfour

By quitting smoking, a smoker that normally smokes one pack of cigarettes a day can save up to 1.6 million won a year.

Mike Balfour KCTV