WHO Headquarter at Geneva, Switzerland

Smoke-free policies bring health benefits.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has announced that the implementation of
smoke-free policies in many Western countries has reduced the prevalence of smoking and had
subsequent health benefits. Furthermore, such smoking bans to have not had adverse financial effects
on the bar and restaurant industry, it says.

Dr John Pierce (University of California, San Diego) and Dr Maria Leon(IARC, Lyon, France) have
prepared a special report on the subject, published in the July 2008 issue of Lancet Oncology.
They showed that comprehensive smoke-free-laws significantly reduce exposure to secondhand
smoke, which has been associated with undesirable health outcomes. Studies of the effects of smoke-
free- policies consistently showed that passive smoking is reduced by 80% to90% in high-exposure
settings. In turn, this has had health benefits in terms of a reduction in heart-disease morbidity,
a reduction in respiratory symptoms, and an expected decline in lung cancer.


Tobacco industry tries to impede smoke-free policies.

The tobacco industries are trying to impede the introduction of smoke-free policies. They have done
this by, for example, casting doubts on the adverse health effects associated with exposure to second-
hand smoke. Further, cigarette firms will often try to promote alternatives to total smoking bans,
suggesting environments that allow both smoking and smoke-free areas or encouraging other solutions
to smoking, such as ventilation, rather than outright bans.
Source: Theheartorg. July 1, 2008.

Japan Tobacco Inc. insists to keep a smoking room in all public places, including an airport terminal.
The researchers of the company propose the various separate smoking systems, like in the terminal
buildings in New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido. There is no entrance and/or exit door at the smoking room.
The company claims tobacco smoke may not flow into a passenger waiting lobby. They were tried
every possible means to oppose a total smoking ban.


No-smoking sign at WHO Headquarter at Geneva, Switzerland

WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic

I am speaking to you as the head of an agency described by the tobacco industry as its biggest enemy.
Today, we intend to enhance that reputation.

The WHO Report on the world-wide tobacco epidemic is the most comprehensive collection of data on
tobacco use and control measures ever assembled at the global level. It provides a benchmark for now
and a roadmap for the future. The standardized country-by-country statistics tell us where we stand.
The tobacco epidemic is growing. It is shifting towards developing countries, with tobacco use growing
fastest in low-income countries. The rise of tobacco use in girls and young women is among the most
ominous of recent trends.

The report pinpoints the factors behind these trends: the low-price of tobacco products, aggressive
marketing, lack of awareness about the dangers, and inconsistent public policies to protect citizens.
The report also provides a roadmap. It sets out a package of five cost-effective policy measures selected
because of their proven power to reduce tobacco use. These are straightforward common-sense
measures within the reach of every country, regardless of income level.

Among them, increasing the price of tobacco through higher taxes is the single most effective way to
decrease consumption and encourage tobacco users to quit. This measure can also operate as a sustain
-able funding mechanism for governments to continue their efforts in tobacco control. I would argue
that these measures are the silver bullets of preventive medicine. Their power to prevent disease and
death matches that of breakthrough drugs.

These measures work. The importance of their impact reflects the magnitude of harm caused by tobacco.
I am referring to more than five million annual deaths globally, a figure that is expected to surpass
8 million by 2030. By that year, 80% of these deaths will be occurring in the developing world. As a
global community, we cannot allow this to happen.

The tobacco epidemic is entirely man-made, and it can be turned around through the concerted efforts
of governments and civil society. Having said that, I want to remind governments in every country of the
range and force of counter-tactics used by the tobacco industry- an industry that has much money and no
qualms about using it in the most devious ways imaginable.

We have another powerful signal that the measures set out in the report are effective. The tobacco
industry has fought tooth and nail to prevent or delay the introduction of each one.

Industry does not want higher taxes. Industry does not want graphic images on packs. Industry does
not want bans on smoking in public places, bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, or help
for the majority of smokers who want to quit. Industry knows very well that these measures cut
tobacco consumption and shrink markets. That is exactly why we are recommending them.

We are at the starting point with this roadmap. As the report reveals, only 5% of the world population
ives in countries that have fully implemented any key-measures for reducing demand. This gives you
an idea of the potential. We have to shrink tobacco markets, prevent disease, and save several million
lives. This is the kind of change that WHO and its partners aim to fuel by issuing this report.

February 7, 2008, Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization


Tobacco taxes, smoking bans set to save millions of lives.

Anti-smoking measures, including higher taxes on tobacco products, bans on adverts and controls on
lighting up in public places could prevent tens of millions of premature deaths across the world,
researchers said. Similar steps taken by Turkey, Romania and 39 other countries between 2007 and 2010
were already saving lives, the independent study published by the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
"If the attained by these ... countries were extended globally, tens of millions of smoking-related deaths
could be averted," Professor David Levy, the study's lead author from Georgetown University Medical
Center in Washington, said in the WHO's monthly bulletin.

Wider use of the controls could also lead to lower health care costs and higher birth weights for babies,
he added. Tobacco-control measures already introduced in the 41 countries, including Pakistan,
Argentina and Italy, were on track to persuade an estimated 15 million people not to smoke, the study
said. That would prevent around 7.4 million smoking-related deaths by 2050, it added.

The researchers found the most effective measures were increasing taxes and banning smoking in offices,
restaurants and other public places. The first method would prevent 3.5 million smoking-attributable
deaths, while the second would prevent 2.5 million, they said. "If anything it is an under-estimate,"
Dr. Douglas Bettcher, director of WHO's department of non-communicable diseases, told Reuters in an
interview at his Geneva office.

It is a win-win situation for health and finance ministries to generate revenues that have a major impact
on improving health and productivity," he added. Turkey's steps led to a sharp drop in smoking rates to
41.5 percent among men in 2012 from 47.9 percent in 2008, he said. Six million people die every year
from smoking, and the toll is projected to rise to eight million by 2030, according to WHO, a United Nations
agency waging war on "WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which came into force in 2005,
lays down measures to curb smoking and tobacco use.

About 175 countries have ratified the pact, shunned by others that are home to large tobacco companies,
including the United States, Switzerland and Indonesia. Measures include raising taxes on tobacco products
to 75 percent of the final retail price, smoke-free air policies, warnings on cigarette packages, bans on
advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and offering treatments to kick the habit. "We know that in many
poor countries, the poor spend a lot of money on tobacco. They would be able to use it for nutrition and
education, which is a huge opportunity cost," said Dr. Edouard Tursan d'Espaignet, from WHO's Tobacco
Free Initiative.

Source; Reuters, Jun 30, 2013


No-smoking sign seen at a restaurant in Burnaby, B.C.,Canada

Trains

Olympic Games and a restriction of smoking in a train by the host countries

1948	XIV	London (UK)
1952	XV	Helsinki（Finland）　　　　　　　　　　　 Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1956	XVI	Melbourne （Australia）　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train. Stickholm（Sweden）　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1960	XVII	Roma（Italy）　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1964	XVIII	Tokyo（Japan）　　　　　 Smoking is allowed in a train.
1968	XIX	Mexico City（Mexico）　　　　　　　　 　Inadequate information
1972	XX	Munich（West Germany）　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1976	XXI	Montral（Canada）　　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1980	XXII	Moscow（Soviet Union）　　　　　 　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1984	XXIII	Los Angeles（United States）　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1988	XXIV	Seoul（Korea）　　　　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1992	XXV	Barcelona（Spain）　　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1994	Lillehammer（Norway）　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1996	XXVI	Atlanta（United State）　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
1998	Nagano（Japan） 　　　　　 　　　　　JR-East prohibits smoking in a train.
2000	XXVII	Sydney（Australia）　　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2002	Salt Lake City（United State）　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2004	XXVIII	Athenes（Greece）　　　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2006	Turin（Italy）　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2008	XXIX	Beijing（China）　　　　　 　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2010	Vancouver（Canada）　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2012	XXX	London（UK）　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2014	Sochi（Russia）　　　　　　　　　　　 　 Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2016	XXXI	Rio de Janeiro（Brazil）　　　　　　　　　　Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2018	Pyengchang County（Korea）　　　　　　 Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2020	XXXII	Tokyo（Japan）　　　　　　　 　 　Smoking is allowed in a train.
2022	Beijing（China）　　　　　　　　　　　 　 Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2024	XXXII	Paris（France）　　　　　　　 　 　 Smoking is prohibited in a train.
2028	XXVIIII	Los Angeles（USA）　　　　　　　　　　　 Smoking is prohibited in a train.

★This table shows the smoking ban in a train at the Olympic host countries in and after July 2014.
China Government charges 2,000 Yuan for a violation of smoking restriction in a high-speed train.
In UK, a penalty of the maximum 200 pounds is applied for a smoking at a smoke-free designated vehicle.
Japanese Government admit to installing a smoking booth in all trains to support smoking act.

---

Smoking Regulation Awareness Survey in Japan
Do you support the indoor total smoking ban?

Smoking should be prohibited in all indoor public space 83.7%
The individual firms select the state of smoking restriction and show the outcome in the entrance 9.2%
A smoking-space separation in a facility 5.5%

Gender display of voters: Male, 61.8%, Female 36.6%
Source: Asahi Shimbun Awareness Survey on smoking regulation performed in April 2017.

Smoking Rate Investigation in Japan



Overall smoking rate: 17.9% of the total population in Japan
Gender display: Male, 27.8%, Year-on-year 0.4% decrease
Female 8.7%　Year-on-year 0.3% decrease
Source. JT data May 2018

　US: Overall 15.5% (Gender display: Male, 17.5%, Female 13.5%) in 2016

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How to protect yourself from toxic tobacco smoke when you use a restaurant in Japan.
Tokyo International Airport has 69 smoking booths or rooms: the largest number among airports in the world.
Superexpress train, shinkansen, bound for Kyoto runs, with a smoking car or a vehicle with the booth
　　for smokers.
All sleeper-trains in Japan are connecting a smoking vehicle.

Department of Health, Labor and Welfare announced to assist an establishment of
indoor smoking room in restaurant and hotels, and will increase the financial support rate
from the present 25% to50% of the whole construction fee in 2013.
Japan Tobacco Inc. is trying to brainwashing Japanese people, using TV commercial.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////



The worst anti-smoking measures have announced by Japanese Government in 2018.
Olympic healthy sports environment is frustrating.

A new proposal about smoking regulation by the Health Ministry of Japan in January 2018:
1. A smoking booth is allowed in a large-sized restaurant and bar.
2. Smoking is freely allowed in small-sized restaurant and bar when 'smoking sign' is posted
at the entrance into the facility.
3. How to classify is undetermined. Members of Liberal-Democratic Party ( Prime minister Abe,
Minister of Finance, Aso, etc.)
are requesting the line of 150sqm. If so, about 90 % of eating places s are included and,
in almost in all restaurants, smoking is allowed.
This appeared to be the worst anti-smoking measure in the World, neglecting the WHO and
IOC agreements.

January 2018 Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D.,PhD.

---

Political Background:

In June 2017, the former Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Shiozaki has said that the anti-smoke law
should not be ashamed before the world. The minister stressed that many citizens still suffer serious
second-hand smoke in public facilities, such as restaurants and workplaces. He also said,' For the 2020
Tokyo-Olympic, we are responsible for succeeding the tradition of the Olympic without tobacco.

If a restricted exception was set up at a small-scale restaurant, the Minister said that the principles and
exceptions would reserve and in most restaurants and bars, and the user can put a cigarette at a food
-serving shop.

The flow of politics has changed greatly toward unfavorable direction, in August 2017. Prime Minister
Abe and Finance Minister, Aso dismissed Minister Shiozaki, because he disagreed to a request of LDP
members who admit smoking in the restaurant and bars. As a result, the Tobacco Chairperson of LDP
was nominated as a Minisiter in demand of Tokyo Olympic Games. He is the brother in law of Finance
Minister Aso. At the same time, Representative Kato, who claims a separate smoking booth in a restaurant,
was newly appointed as the next Minister of Health.

日本語


「屋内全面禁煙の法制化を」受動喫煙防止でＷＨＯが各国政府に勧告
2007年7月執筆　2008年2月加筆　2009年7月加筆　2009年12月英文加筆　2013年3月加筆 　2018年7月加筆
執筆　医学博士　宮本順伯　
This article was written in July 2007 and finally revised in July 2018, by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D.,PhD.
All photographs were taken by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D.,PhD.