Adventures We Seek

Great American Smokeout — Smoking Culture in Korea and the Bad Habits Worth Breaking


On the day of the Great American Smokeout I am sitting in my mom’s living room asking her what my bad habits are — and apparently I am perfect, but let’s dig a little deeper.

Today is the 37th annual Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer Society. The goal is to get people to make a plan to quit smoking or plan ahead and make today the day that they quit.

Adam and I have never been a fan of cigarettes or smoking. I love that the laws here don’t allow people to smoke in restaurants and in most public places. In Korea, this is not the case. People can smoke anywhere and all the tables in just about every restaurant have ash trays sitting on them. We both really don’t like how this is someone else’s bad habit, yet due to second hand smoking we are still affected.

Just a little FYI from the American Cancer Society.

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US, yet about 43.8 million Americans still smoke cigarettes — Nearly 1 in every 5 adults. As of 2010, there were also 13.2 million cigar smokers in the US, and 2.2 million who smoke tobacco in pipes — other dangerous and addictive forms of tobacco.

So Lisa’s, Health Challenge today for November 15th…What are some bad habits you got rid of or are working towards fixing?

Well I am sitting in my Mom’s living room I am asking her what bad habits I have. Of course, she says I am perfect and I must agree. But I guess there are always things you can be better at…

Nothing like some friends and cheesy smiles
  • I have gotten really bad at calling people back and spending time with my friends now that I am home from Korea. I am not sure why that is. I just don’t feel like I have much to share at the moment. We are still in the same situation as when we arrived. I get pretty down about it.
  • Adam says (this is a community activity right now) that I am too hard on myself. This is directly correlated with above. I do need to work on this.
  • I don’t wash my face everyday…this could have something to do with my nasty complexion as of late. But, on the other hand with it being so bad I am finding myself washing a good 4 times a day right now, which could also be the culprit of bad skin.

What bad habits are you working towards fixing?

Related articles

Q: What is the Great American Smokeout? A: The Great American Smokeout is an annual event sponsored by the American Cancer Society held every third Thursday of November. The goal is to encourage smokers to make a plan to quit or use the day as their quit date. Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US affecting nearly one in five American adults.

Q: How is smoking culture in South Korea different from the US? A: Dramatically different — smoking restrictions in Korea are significantly more relaxed than in the US. Ashtrays sit on virtually every restaurant table and people smoke freely in most public spaces. As non smokers living there the constant exposure to second hand smoke was one of our most consistent frustrations — the idea that someone else’s habit becomes your health problem whether you choose it or not feels fundamentally unfair regardless of where in the world you are.

Q: What bad habits are hardest to break as an adult? A: The ones that are tied to emotional states rather than just physical cravings. Being too hard on yourself — Adam’s nomination for my worst habit — is one of the most insidious because it masquerades as self awareness or high standards. Staying connected with friends through transitions and life changes is another that sneaks up on you when you are busy adjusting to a new chapter of life.

Q: How does moving abroad affect your personal habits and routines? A: Profoundly and in both directions. Some habits dissolve naturally when you are removed from the environment that sustained them. Others get worse under the stress and disorientation of adjustment. Living in Korea made us dramatically more active and adventurous — it also made maintaining friendships back home feel genuinely difficult in ways we did not fully anticipate.

Q: How do you rebuild social connections after living abroad? A: Slowly and with patience for yourself in the process. Coming home after an extended time abroad is its own kind of culture shock and the disconnection from friends and community is real and valid. The key is recognizing that the distance is temporary and that the friendships worth keeping will survive the gap — which ours consistently have.

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2 comments

  1. I’ll jump on the bandwagon too. Cut yourself some slack!

    You’re skin is probably changing due to the baby. There is an old Italian saying that if you get acne it means you’re having a girl because she’s trying to steal your beauty. Not sure how true that is, but I did get acne with Rylee Brianna and not with Henry. With Henry I just had morning-sickness-which-should-have-been-called-all-day-sickness-because-I-was-sick-day-day-every-day-for-the-first-trimester.

    Anyway, feel better.

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