연구 결과, 고등학생 흡연율 급증

The number of Korean adolescents who have tried smoking rises steeply as they move through school, a government study indicates, with a sharp jump between middle school and high school.

The cohort study tracks 5,051 students who were in sixth grade — the last year of elementary school — when the study began in 2019, with the latest data collected between March and October 2025.

According to the agency on Thursday, its panel survey found that the proportion who had smoked among the cohort, now aged 16-17 and in the 11th grade, had risen to 9.59 percent. That was up from 3.93 percent in ninth grade, the last year of middle school in Korea.

The increase in high school years was nearly 3 percentage points per year, and was almost as high as the total increase for all three years of middle school. The proportion who said they had tried smoking at the start of the survey, when they were still in elementary school, was 0.35 percent.

The proportion who were current smokers, defined as having smoked in the last 30 days, was 6.13 percent for boys and 2.17 percent for girls.

The spread of electronic cigarettes was identified as a major contributing factor, particularly among girls.

Among female students, the proportion currently using liquid-based electronic cigarettes exceeded that of conventional cigarette users, at 1.54 percent and 1.33 percent, respectively. The overall figures were 3.47 percent and 2.58 percent, as boys were still more likely to smoke conventional cigarettes.

The surrounding environment played a significant role in shaping these behavioral trends.

An analysis of predisposing factors showed that smoking initiation rates were meaningfully higher among students whose friends or family members smoked or expressed permissive attitudes toward smoking, with earlier ages of first exposure.

The survey also released interim findings on other health indicators, including alcohol consumption, skipping breakfast, nutrition, physical activity and smartphone use. All indicators showed a worsening trend as students grew older.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said it plans to closely track participants over the remaining three years of the survey, expecting the data to provide important insights into the link between adolescent habits and adult health outcomes. The project has managed to retain 80 percent of the original members of the cohort, a relatively high level for a long-term study, according to the agency.

“The results serve as fundamental data for building policies and improving institutions that help adolescents grow into healthy adults,” a KDCA official said. “Because adolescent habits can shape health across the entire life course, coordinated efforts by schools, families and local communities are essential.”

 

정부 연구에 따르면 한국 청소년의 흡연 경험률은 학년이 올라갈수록 급격히 증가하며, 특히 중학교와 고등학교 사이에 큰 폭으로 상승하는 것으로 나타났습니다.

이 코호트 연구는 2019년 연구 시작 당시 초등학교 6학년이었던 학생 5,051명을 대상으로 2025년 3월부터 10월까지 추적 조사를 실시했습니다.

연구기관은 목요일 발표한 패널 조사 결과, 현재 16~17세인 고등학교 11학년 학생 중 흡연 경험이 있는 비율이 9.59%로 증가했다고 밝혔습니다. 이는 중학교 3학년 당시 3.93%에서 크게 증가한 수치입니다.

고등학교 재학 기간 동안 흡연 경험률은 매년 약 3%포인트씩 증가했으며, 이는 중학교 3년 동안의 증가폭과 거의 비슷한 수준입니다. 연구 시작 시점인 초등학교 재학 시절 흡연 경험이 있다고 응답한 학생은 0.35%였습니다.

지난 30일 동안 흡연 경험이 있는 학생의 비율은 남학생 6.13%, 여학생 2.17%였습니다.

특히 여학생들 사이에서 전자담배의 확산이 주요 원인으로 지목되었습니다.

여학생 중 액상형 전자담배를 사용하는 비율은 1.54%로 일반 담배를 피우는 비율(1.33%)을 넘어섰습니다. 전체적으로는 남학생이 3.47%, 여학생이 2.58%로 일반 담배를 피우는 비율이 더 높았습니다.

주변 환경은 이러한 행동 경향을 형성하는 데 중요한 역할을 했습니다.

흡연 유발 요인 분석 결과, 친구나 가족 중에 흡연자가 있거나 흡연에 대해 관대한 태도를 보이는 학생일수록, 그리고 흡연에 처음 노출되는 나이가 어릴수록 흡연 시작률이 유의미하게 높았습니다.

이번 조사에서는 음주, 아침 식사 거르기, 영양 상태, 신체 활동, 스마트폰 사용 등 다른 건강 지표에 대한 중간 결과도 발표했습니다. 모든 지표에서 학생들의 나이가 들수록 악화되는 추세를 보였습니다.

질병관리청은 남은 3년간의 조사 기간 동안 참여자들을 면밀히 추적 관찰하여 청소년기 습관과 성인기 건강 사이의 연관성에 대한 중요한 통찰력을 얻을 수 있을 것으로 기대한다고 밝혔습니다. 질병관리청에 따르면, 이번 연구는 초기 코호트 참여자의 80%를 유지하는 데 성공했는데, 이는 장기 연구로서는 비교적 높은 비율입니다.

질병관리청 관계자는 "이번 결과는 청소년들이 건강한 성인으로 성장할 수 있도록 지원하는 정책을 수립하고 제도를 개선하는 데 중요한 기초 자료가 될 것"이라며, "청소년기 습관은 전 생애 건강에 영향을 미칠 수 있으므로 학교, 가정, 지역사회의 협력적인 노력이 필수적"이라고 강조했습니다.