http://www.jstc.or.jp/ E-mail: desk@nosmoke55.jp〒162-0063 東京都新宿区市谷薬王寺町 30-5-201
Tel 03-5360-8233 FAX 03-5360-6736

Mr. Takeichiro Kuroda, Director of the Fire Management Agency
Mr. Jun Takahashi, Chairman of the National Fire Management Secretariat
28 March 2019
Mr. Manabu Sakuta,
Chairperson of Japan Society for Tobacco Control,
General incorporated association

On leaflets for the "cigarette fire prevention campaign"
you should not use the names of the fire management agencies
Dear Sirs, I acknowledge the ongoing measures needed to prevent fires and to promote safety.
https://www.tioj.or.jp/activity/manners.html
In regard to this, the Ogikubo fire department staff has visited residences in Suginami-ku to
distribute leaflets titled "Be careful not to smoke in bed. Cigarette fire prevention
campaign", which were inserted into a folder titled “Do you know the three ways to prevent
fire from smoking at night?"
These points are also listed on the Japan Tobacco Association website.
https://www.tioj.or.jp/activity/manners.html
1.

These points were first promoted by the Fire Management Agency andtheNational

Fire Management Secretariat, and have since been disseminated by the Japan Tobacco
Society,
Most importantly, the order is improper
Even though the Fire Management Agency and the National Fire Management
Secretariat are sponsoring the message for safety purposes, it is improper to list theirnames of the names of tobacco enterprises. Association with tobacco enterprises when
implementing tobacco control policies violates Article 5 (3) of the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) advocated by the World Health Organization.
2. The combusted tobacco (manufactured tobacco cigarettes) that tobacco companies produce1and sell causes the fire that results from smoking in bed, and the associated death, loss ofhomes, other damages and liabilities.
Such fires have occurred repeatedly, and if we do not take drastic measures, will occur
again. Because tobacco companies that belong to the Japan Tobacco Association are notprimarily responsible for any resulting damages and liabilities, it is a mistake for the Fire
Management Agency and the National Fire Management Secretariat to associate with theproduction and distribution of these leaflets.
3. The “fire protection campaign” should be the responsibility and associated with the nameof only the Japan Tobacco Association. The Fire Management Agency and National Fire
Management Secretariat Association should not be involved at all.
4. In addition to fires from smoking in bed, the responsibility of fires from smoking while
walking and (forest) fires from littered cigarette butts lies with tobacco companies and their
combusted product. This implies that the Fire Management Agency and National Fire
Management Secretariat should not be involved tobacco control policies that would try tolimit such fires and the underlying cause of the fires.

・Public administrative institutions that affiliate with tobacco companies and associations,even by using their name to sponsor tobacco control policies, violate Article 5.3 of the"Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" (FCTC) advocated by the World HealthOrganization.

・As part of firefighting duties, ambulances provide emergency transport services for manycases of heart disease and cerebral hemorrhage (stroke), whose single largest cause is theuse of tobacco. Therefore, it is again a mistake for the Fire Management Agency tocollaborate with the Japan Tobacco Association and tobacco companies that manufactureand sell unhealthy tobacco products. Promotion of tobacco control policies in collaboration
with tobacco companies or associations for health or emergency treatment purposes wouldalso violate the previously mentioned treaty.
5. A new type of cigarette has recently expanded its sales to replace traditional combustible
tobacco, but I would like to emphasize that the Fire Management Agency and the National
Fire Management Secretariat should not make comments about these devices related to2

activities like smoking in bed.
6. The Fire Management Agency has asked tobacco companies to display a warning on
tobacco packages saying "To prevent fires, smoking in bed and littering of butts areprohibited" (even though this is not mandatory according to the law). I ask that the Fire
Management Agency prevent publication of its name with this warning so as to avoid
tacitly approving the production and sales of tobacco companies and the practice ofsmoking tobacco.
Sincerely yours
1) WHO Tobacco Control Framework Treaty Article 5 paragraph 3 guidelines
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/tobacco/dl/fctc_5-3_guideline_120506.pdf

Recommendations(1) Raise awareness of addictions and harms of tobacco products and of intervention
by the tobacco industry with the tobacco control policies of signatory nations.
(2) Establish measures to restrict contact with the tobacco industry and ensuretransparency when contact occurs.
(3) Refuse cooperation with the tobacco industry and reject agreements without legalbinding or force.
(4) Avoid conflicts of interest by government officials and administrative personnel.
(5) Acquire clear and accurate information from the tobacco industry.
(6) Reduce and regulate the so-called 'corporate social responsibility' activities by thetobacco industry.
(7) Do not grant privileged treatment to tobacco companies.
(8) Treat state-owned tobacco companies and other tobacco companies in the sameway.

3