Over 70% of surveyed governors nationwide think firmer measures are needed to counter passive smoking, but less than half of them support the government’s proposal to basically ban indoor smoking at restaurants, a Kyodo News survey shows. In the survey, to which 45 of…
Over 70% of surveyed governors nationwide think firmer measures are needed to counter passive smoking, but less than half of them support the government’s proposal to basically ban indoor smoking at restaurants, a Kyodo News survey shows.
In the survey, to which 45 of the total 47 governors in Japan responded, 35 expressed support for revising the current Health Promotion Law that leaves anti-passive smoking measures up to the «efforts» of building managers.
The health ministry has proposed imposing an indoor smoking ban at restaurants with the exception of small bars but has yet to submit a bill to the Diet to realize the plan due to resistance from ruling Liberal Democratic Party members calling for a far wider scope of exception.
Japan is among countries rated poorly over its tobacco control policies by the World Health Organization, and the government is eager to improve the situation ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Sarah Barber, director of the WHO Center for Health Development in Kobe, Japan, said in a telephone interview with Kyodo News that the 2020 Olympics will be «a wonderful opportunity» to realize «a comprehensive 100 percent smoke-free environment throughout Japan.»
But the survey by Kyodo News showed mixed views among the governors over the kind of measures that should be actually taken, with 14 supporting the health ministry’s proposal but the remaining respondents saying they cannot take either the side of the health ministry or the LDP.
