Court ruling should not weaken urgency of quitting smoking

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Court ruling should not weaken urgency of quitting smoking

Published: 24 Feb. 2026, 00:04

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Kim Yeol

The author is the director of the Smoking Cessation Support Center at the National Cancer Center and a specialist in family medicine.

A recent court decision rejecting the National Health Insurance Service’s damages claim against tobacco companies has drawn attention for its legal implications. But medical experts warn the ruling should not be misinterpreted as diminishing the health risks of smoking.

The court acknowledged epidemiological links between smoking and lung and laryngeal cancers but said it was difficult to prove direct legal causation for individual patients. It also ruled that insurance payouts were mandatory expenses under the law, making it hard to hold tobacco companies liable for damages.

Smokers gather at a smoking zone in Seoul on May 29, 2025. [NEWS1]

While the decision addresses legal responsibility, physicians fear it may send the wrong public message. Some smokers may misunderstand the ruling to mean smoking is not a direct cause of cancer or feel less urgency to quit. Such interpretations would contradict established medical evidence.

From a scientific standpoint, smoking remains one of the most significant causes of lung cancer, laryngeal cancer and many other diseases. Although cancer rarely results from a single factor, smoking is the most important risk factor for these cancers. Reports by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, along with decades of research, show that smoking raises the risk of lung cancer by 15 to 30 times compared with nonsmokers. It is also a major cause of cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus and pancreas.

The health impact extends beyond cancer. Smoking contributes to heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and complications of diabetes. These findings are supported by long-term population cohort studies and large-scale meta-analyses accumulated over decades.

Equally important is the benefit of quitting. Research shows cardiovascular risk begins to decline soon after smoking cessation, and the risk of lung cancer and other cancers continues to fall over time. Quitting smoking remains the most effective way to prevent many serious diseases.

Regardless of the court ruling, the social and economic burden of smoking remains substantial. In Korea, smoking-related losses are estimated to exceed 13 trillion won annually, with costs continuing to accumulate.

International experience suggests tobacco-related harm is not viewed solely as an individual responsibility. In the United States, state governments sued tobacco companies over rising public health care costs, resulting in the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which required companies to pay more than $200 billion and imposed restrictions on advertising and marketing. In Canada, courts approved settlements exceeding 30 trillion won after lawsuits alleged companies had concealed the risks and addictive nature of tobacco.

These cases reflect a broader recognition that smoking-related harm imposes costs on society as a whole. In Korea, most treatment expenses for smoking-related diseases are covered by national health insurance, ultimately borne by the public.

The recent ruling should not lead to weaker tobacco control. Instead, the government should strengthen smoking cessation support and regulatory policies to protect public health. Tobacco companies, regardless of legal outcomes, should also acknowledge their social responsibility by supporting cessation efforts and sharing the burden of smoking-related disease.

Many smokers resolve to quit at the start of a new year or after family gatherings, yet most relapse within days or weeks. For families, the most meaningful gift may be a firm commitment to stop smoking.

Whatever the legal judgment, the body does not wait. Carcinogens accumulate with each cigarette. The time to quit is not later but now.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.