[Intl-tobacco] Japan: New cigarette labeling

[Robert Weissman]

Cigarette labels to carry stronger health warnings - The Japan Times
(AP)
 July 3, 2003

 In the first revision of cigarette warning labels in 14 years, Japanese
tobacco companies will be required to state the dangers of smoking more
clearly on their packaging, government officials said Wednesday. Eight
new warning labels have been approved that directly address the risks of
lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, according to the Finance
Ministry. The warnings also point out the dangers to pregnant women and
children, and highlight the risks of nicotine addiction. Current
labeling only says that cigarettes can damage one's health and warns
against excessive smoking. The government has a strong  financial
interest in tobacco sales, and has long been accused by antismoking
groups of putting its own fiscal gain over public  health.

The Finance Ministry, which has traditionally controlled tobacco-related
issues, owns two-thirds of Japan Tobacco Inc., the  tobacco production
monopoly. It also relies on steady revenues from tobacco taxes. About
2.6 percent of Japan's expected  national tax revenues, some 1.16
trillion yen, is expected to come from such taxes in the coming fiscal
year.

 Finance Ministry official Yasuo Toka said the decision to change the
labels comes as doctors, the health ministry and other  government
bodies are pushing increasingly for tobacco control. The new warnings,
prompted by guidelines set at a World Health  Organization tobacco
control convention in May, will be required to cover at least 30 percent
of the package and be visible on both sides, the ministry said.

 But it has not decided when the revised labels will appear on cigarette
packs, ministry official Katsuya Nishitani said. Smoking is widely
prevalent in Japan, where smokers and nonsmokers sit side-by-side in
restaurants and many offices are home to a permanent haze. According to
industry data, nearly one in three Japanese smokes, giving the country
one of the highest smoking rates in the industrialized world.

On Tuesday, Japan Tobacco raised the price of cigarettes, but at an
average of 270 yen for a pack of 20, the increase is not  expected to
put a dent in the number of smokers.