[Intl-tobacco] Japan Times: Tighten Japan's tobacco controls

[Robert Weissman]

Tighten Japan's tobacco controls - Japan Times

 Editorial

 Saturday, May 24, 2003

 The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control adopted at the latest
annual assembly of the World Health Organization is the
 first multilateral pact in the field of public health. The harmful
effects of tobacco on health are well-known, but its use remains
 widespread. The fact is that while the health dangers of tobacco are
overwhelming, governments have long depended on it for tax
 revenue. Few products are as loaded with contradiction as tobacco.
 Every year about 5 million people around the world die from
tobacco-related illnesses, including cancer, cerebral diseases and
 cardiovascular problems. In Japan alone, tobacco claims the lives of an
estimated 100,000 people annually. Moreover,
 tobacco-related diseases are becoming more serious, and the number of
victims is increasing on an annual basis. The WHO
 estimates that unless countermeasures are strengthened, the annual
number of tobacco-related deaths will number 10 million in
 2030.

 Controls began to take shape from the 1970s, primarily in Europe and
the United States. There have been visible results, including
 a decline in cancer-related deaths. Unfortunately, to make up losses
from declining domestic markets, tobacco companies
 increased their exports to developing countries so that the overall
toll on human health did not decrease. Therefore, pressure grew
 to establish a multilateral convention to strengthen regulations on the
international level.

 During the three years of negotiations, Japan, the U.S. and Germany --
which have the world's leading tobacco companies --
 consistently opposed the adoption of strict regulations. As a result,
the convention leaves much to the discretion of each country.
 While it was unanimously accepted, the treaty is a product of
compromise between proponents of tight regulations and
 tobacco-industry protectionists.

 Nevertheless, the convention is significant. Clearly stipulating the
objective to reduce tobacco consumption, it calls on countries to
 ban or impose tough restrictions on tobacco advertising and print
health warnings on at least 30 percent of all cigarette packets.
 Importantly, it also calls for the establishment of organizations to
promote tobacco control. These articles will force Japan to
 fundamentally revise its policy.

 The government plans to ratify the convention without altering existing
laws, which makes us question whether its approach is
 adequate. Japan's countermeasures will be made on the basis of the
tobacco business law -- the aim of which is the sound
 development of the tobacco industry. It is the Ministry of Finance that
has jurisdiction over this area and supervises the law; the
 Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is not actively involved. Any
move to reduce tobacco hazards will not be sufficiently
 effective if this setup remains unchanged. A shift to a tobacco policy
that protects the health of the people is an obligation under
 the convention. The government should quickly formulate guidelines to
promote tobacco control.

 Japan is said to lag three decades behind Europe and North America in
implementing tobacco controls. The health-promotion law
 that went into effect on May 1 aims to prevent passive smoking in
public places. This is a step forward, but even more aggressive
 methods are required to promote public health. The time has come for
the government to make full-fledged efforts to place, among
 other things, controls on advertising and expand health warnings on
cigarettes. Japan's ubiquitous cigarette vending machines,
 which number about 630,000 throughout the country, fuel illegal smoking
by minors. Japan is the only country that permits
 cigarette vending machines to be placed outside in unsupervised areas.
Strict regulations must be imposed on these machines.

 The most effective means of reducing tobacco consumption is to increase
taxation. Consumption falls when prices rise. Cigarettes
 are much cheaper in Japan than in Europe or the U.S. The convention
notably recommends tax increases. Japan's tobacco tax will
 be raised in July by 0.82 yen per cigarette. But to protect people's
health, the government should consider a bolder, long-term tax
 increase.

 The convention will come into effect 90 days after it has been ratified
by at least 40 countries. The WHO will make efforts to
 realize effectuation next year and build a mechanism for tobacco
control. The current endemic of severe acute respiratory
 syndrome (SARS) shows that priority must be given to international
cooperation in the field of public health. The government
 should simultaneously ratify the convention and alter the direction of
domestic tobacco policy.

 http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/geted.pl5?ed20030524a1.htm