Japan Tries To Kick The Habit of strict anti smoking legislationoo
TOKYO: Japan is moving to pass its laws stricter absolute smoking, but powerful lobby of tobacco in the country wants to shut down the measures that have been taken years ago by other developed nations. The government is ready to change the image of Japan as a puffing paradise - smoking is still allowed in most bars, restaurants and cafes - like Tokyo is set to host millions of visitors to the 2020 Olympics.
The health ministry is to present a bill to parliament by June, that the ban on smoking in many restaurants, as well as public facilities.
If approved, violators would face a penalty of ¥ 300,000 ($ 2.600).
But the proposals, presented last week, have already been watered down from an initial push for a comprehensive ban on indoor smoking, which took place against strong opposition from former State monopoly Japan Tobacco (JT) and many small companies, who fear 'll lose customers.
Establishments can build a separate smoking room under the latest proposal.
Places with less than 30 square meters in area, would not be affected by the restrictions at all - except a huge number of plants in space-challenged Japan.
"It would be better if it is completely prohibited" in restaurants, Kumiko Tanaka, a 27-year-old non-smoker, told AFP.
"But I do not care, as long as smokers are strictly separated."
Even the less expansive rules could be headed for trouble, however, as the opposition delivers within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
The gaffe-prone minister Taro Aso Finance recently questioned the long-established relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer.
This week, the LDP parliamentary affairs chief Wataru Takeshita complained the proposals as a group in his party suggested restaurateurs instead be allowed to choose - and display their smoking status at the door.
"Like a cigarette lover, I feel as if this is not a good idea - how could I live if smoking is prohibited in all the world" Mr. Takeshita told reporters.
'Really late'
The Government of Japan gets billions of dollars a year in tax revenue from cigarettes, and still owns a third of the capital JT - the third largest global tobacco company with brands such as Winston, Camel and Benson & Hedges.
This conflict left anti-smoking activists fuming in a country where cigarettes sell for around 430 yen (about $ 3.75) a pack, and they bring only modest health warning labels.
It 'sa far cry from other developed nations, including Australia and France, which have far-reaching ban on smoking in public places and large, graphic health warnings on cigarette packages sold for two or three times more than Japan.
Nearly 50 countries have bans on indoor smoking in enclosed spaces.
"We are very late," said Yumiko Mochizuki, a board member at the Japan Society for Tobacco Control (JSTC). "It gave us a bad score by the WHO."
"Countries like the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and cities, including Beijing and Shanghai in China ... have already introduced comprehensive smok banning,"
Smoking kills about 130,000 people in Japan each year, with another 15,000 die from secondhand smoke-related diseases, Mrs. Mercado added.
Despite its many smoking, tobacco use in Japan is falling, in line with a global trend wider.
More than half of Japanese men smoked in 2000. This number dropped to just under 30 percent in 2016.
TOKYO: Japan is moving to pass its laws stricter absolute smoking, but powerful lobby of tobacco in the country wants to shut down the measures that have been taken years ago by other developed nations. The government is ready to change the image of Japan as a puffing paradise - smoking is still allowed in most bars, restaurants and cafes - like Tokyo is set to host millions of visitors to the 2020 Olympics.
The health ministry is to present a bill to parliament by June, that the ban on smoking in many restaurants, as well as public facilities.
If approved, violators would face a penalty of ¥ 300,000 ($ 2.600).
But the proposals, presented last week, have already been watered down from an initial push for a comprehensive ban on indoor smoking, which took place against strong opposition from former State monopoly Japan Tobacco (JT) and many small companies, who fear 'll lose customers.
Establishments can build a separate smoking room under the latest proposal.
Places with less than 30 square meters in area, would not be affected by the restrictions at all - except a huge number of plants in space-challenged Japan.
"It would be better if it is completely prohibited" in restaurants, Kumiko Tanaka, a 27-year-old non-smoker, told AFP.
"But I do not care, as long as smokers are strictly separated."
Even the less expansive rules could be headed for trouble, however, as the opposition delivers within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
The gaffe-prone minister Taro Aso Finance recently questioned the long-established relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer.
This week, the LDP parliamentary affairs chief Wataru Takeshita complained the proposals as a group in his party suggested restaurateurs instead be allowed to choose - and display their smoking status at the door.
"Like a cigarette lover, I feel as if this is not a good idea - how could I live if smoking is prohibited in all the world" Mr. Takeshita told reporters.
'Really late'
The Government of Japan gets billions of dollars a year in tax revenue from cigarettes, and still owns a third of the capital JT - the third largest global tobacco company with brands such as Winston, Camel and Benson & Hedges.
This conflict left anti-smoking activists fuming in a country where cigarettes sell for around 430 yen (about $ 3.75) a pack, and they bring only modest health warning labels.
It 'sa far cry from other developed nations, including Australia and France, which have far-reaching ban on smoking in public places and large, graphic health warnings on cigarette packages sold for two or three times more than Japan.
Nearly 50 countries have bans on indoor smoking in enclosed spaces.
"We are very late," said Yumiko Mochizuki, a board member at the Japan Society for Tobacco Control (JSTC). "It gave us a bad score by the WHO."
"Countries like the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and cities, including Beijing and Shanghai in China ... have already introduced comprehensive smok banning,"
Smoking kills about 130,000 people in Japan each year, with another 15,000 die from secondhand smoke-related diseases, Mrs. Mercado added.
Despite its many smoking, tobacco use in Japan is falling, in line with a global trend wider.
More than half of Japanese men smoked in 2000. This number dropped to just under 30 percent in 2016.
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