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
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To Ministers of Health, Labor and Welfare and members of the Diet who are concernedwith the prevention of passive smoking
To governors and local councilors who are concerned with the prevention of passivesmoking
To central ministries and local government officials who are concerned with theprevention of passive smoking
To all persons concerned with laws and regulations to prevent passive smoking

In appreciation of the new Reiwa era, we celebrate no smoking inside of type 1
facilities from 1 July 2019, according to the revised Health Promotion Act.
-The lives and health of citizens will be improved1 July 2019
From members of the Japan Society for Tobacco Control, General incorporated
association
From 1 July 2019, mandatory no smoking inside of type 1 facilities—like schools,parks, universities, medical clinics, hospitals and government agencies—will begin.
We celebrate the enforcement of new laws that will protect the health and will
improve the lives of 85% of non-smokers from the harms of passive smoking:・ We can now expect children to grow up in smoke-free environment.
・ As the most common product for damaging health, tobacco has almost vanished at
medical facilities.
・ The health of many people who work in public offices will no longer be impaired
because their exposure to passive smoking will be eliminated.
・ Restricting the number of public places to smoke can cue many smokers to quit
smoking.
・ From 1 April next year there will be general rule for no smoking indoors, and inparticular a general smoking ban at type 2 facilities.
(The premises of type 2 facilities will have no smoking indoors.)

Nearly a half a century has elapsed since tobacco control began in Japan, and it has
been 17 years since the Health Promotion Act has stipulated measures to prevent
passive smoking. But during this time, tobacco lobbyists and those from the tobacco
industry have tried to obstruct tobacco regulations. Although a complete smoking
ban was not achieved, the nation has now implemented an indoor smoking ban at type
1 facilities, and it will implement a general indoor smoking ban at type 2 facilities
from April 1 next year.
Thus, significant progress has been made for Japan. In the Reiwa era can beremembered as the start of thorough passive smoking regulations. After an era whenpeople endured unfettered public smoking, now people are not allowed to smoke inindoors in many major facilities, so that many people will not suffer from passive
tobacco smoke. Japanese citizens can now breathe cleaner air. Previously unknown
to citizens, smoke free public environments are now appearing around Japan.
Enforcement of current regulations to prevent passive smoking in Tokyo and otherareas and enforcement of a general indoor smoking ban at type 2 facilities from April 1
next year will help both non-smokers and employees to breathe more easily. We also
predict that many non-smokers and employees will avoid "private smoking rooms","designated private smoking rooms" and as transitional measure, small restaurants
where smoking is permissible. Just as smoking cars have been eliminated on theShinkansen, we predict that restaurants and other facilities that permit smoking will
gradually become less popular and eventually disappear under new regulations.
Regardless of how much tobacco lobbyists and those from the tobacco industry try tohinder anti-tobacco efforts, including by promoting heated tobacco, we predict that themajority of citizens will continue to want to avoid active and passive smoking of toxic
tobacco.
Together with countries and citizens from around the world, we will strive towards a
tobacco-free society, including one with no passive smoking. Thank you kindly foryour consideration.

Thoughts from the Japan Society for Tobacco Control
concerning smoking spaces:
http://www.jstc.or.jp/uploads/uploads/files/essay/20181222.pdf