Smoking paradise Japan tries to kick the habit
TOKYO: Japan is moving to pass its strictest- ever smoking laws, but the country’s powerful tobacco lobby wants to stub out measures that were adopted years ago by other developed nations.
The government is keen to change Japan’s image as a puffi ng paradise — smoking is still allowed in most bars, restaurants and cafes — as Tokyo gets set to host millions of visitors for the 2020 Olympics.
The health ministry is to submit a proposed law to parliament by June that would ban smoking in many restaurants, as well as public facilities.
If approved, rule- breakers would face a penalty of ¥ 300,000 yen ( US$ 2,600).
But the proposals, unveiled last week, have already been watered down from an initial push for a broad ban on indoor smoking, which ran up against strong opposition from former state monopoly Japan Tobacco (JT) and many small business owners, who fear they’ll lose customers.
Establishments can build a separate smoking room under the latest proposal.
And places with less than 30 square metres of floor space would not be affected by the restrictions at all — excluding a huge number of establishments in space- challenged Japan.
“It would be better if it’s completely banned” in restaurants, Kumiko Tanaka, a 27-year- old non-smoker, told AFP.
“But I don’t mind as long as smoking areas are strictly separated.”
Even the less- expansive rules could be headed for trouble, however, as opposition brews within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP).
Gaffe-prone finance minister Taro Aso recently questioned the long- established link between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer.
And this week, the LDP’s parliamentary affairs chief Wataru Takeshita bemoaned the proposals, as a group in his party suggested restaurant owners instead be allowed to choose — and display their smoking status on the door.
“As a cigarette lover, I feel like this is not a good idea — how would I live if smoking is banned everywhere?” Takeshita told reporters.
Japan’s government gets billions of dollars annually in cigarette tax revenue, and still owns a one-third stake in JT — the third-biggest global tobacco company with brands including Winston, Camel and Benson Hedges. — AFP