Finding the Boundary of Harm: Anthropological Approach to ‘Scientific debate’ on Electronic Cigarettes (Liquid/Cigarette Type) and Smoking Cessation

Kim Kwanwook

doi:10.25055/JKSRNT.2019.10.1.9

This paper is an anthropological approach to the scientific debate on the harmful effects of the heated tobacco products after the launch of them in Korea in July 2017. I discussed where and how the ‘boundary of pollution’ works in the debate over electronic cigarettes (so-called ‘liquid/cigarette type’) and smoking cessation. First, I discussed which of the cigarettes and smokers is the real target of the tobacco denormalization policy. The recent smoking cessation campaign (ex, ‘Smokers’ Gab-Jil (=power-trip)‘) seems to emphasize smokers more harmful than ’harmful cigarettes‘. The campaign can be attributed to the fear that the spread of new electronic cigarettes could lead to renormalization of smoking. However, it is contradictory that the cause of pollution is concentrated in smokers rather than tobacco companies and tobacco products. Next, I dealt with whether nicotine or tar is the substance that smokers should escape. I think the following precautions are needed when nicotine is used as a ’harm reduction‘ policy; both the government's fundamental policy attempts and the motivation for smokers to completely quit can be weakened. Third, I dealt with the boundary of pollution that smokers want to overcome through the ’cigarette-type‘ electronic cigarettes. I discussed that the fact that the new electronic cigarette has a low odor could help smokers to recover the disconnected human relationship due to tobacco denormalization. Finally, I also introduced two major boundaries of pollution (smoking as a working drug and as a means of national revenues), which have been discussed in anthropology.

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* 2021년 이후 발행 논문의 참고문헌은 현재 구축 중입니다.

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