Lotte Department Store has warned its staff that a smoking test is coming soon, part of an employee anti-smoking campaign that kicked off in June. The test will happen sometime between mid-October and early November, but the exact date and method haven't been released.

Smokers are worried about what the test will be like. One test based on hair samples can detect smoking as far back as four months, while a simpler breath test can be passed if the subject has quit two to three weeks beforehand. Employees who are still smoking are wondering if they will finally have to quit now.

The department store launched the anti-smoking campaign in June, with 962 employees including 202 executives signing a pledge to quit the habit. Lee Chul-woo, president of Lotte Department Store, has been spearheading the effort. He introduced an anti-smoking work culture when he led Lotte Mart.

The department store employees have been tested three times so far. The success rate varies according to staff level. Some 80.2 percent of executives or 162 out of 184 have succeeded, but only 36.8 percent or 280 out of 580 staffers below manager have been able to stop smoking. In total, 46 percent have quit.

Heavy smokers have been avoiding the tests by making excuses, but they will have to enroll in a quitter's program at the end of the year if they fail this upcoming test.

There are mixed views about the campaign among the company's staff. Some welcome it since the company is helping them quit, while others argue the campaign goes too far and infringes on their privacy.

(englishnews@chosun.com )