[Intl-tobacco] Blowing smoke on tobacco

[robert.weissman@essentialinformation.org]

Blowing smoke on tobacco
The Japan Times
May 24, 2004

By KIROKU HANAI

The government has begun belated efforts to restrict smoking in Japan, which
has long been a smokers' haven. In May 2003, the government enacted the
Health Promotion Law to reduce exposure to passive smoking. In March it
signed the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control -- which sets forth minimum international standards to restrict
smoking -- for ratification by the Diet in the current session. And in
April, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry headquarters became the first
central government building to introduce a total ban on smoking.

The Health Promotion Law has raised social consciousness of the need to
prevent passive smoking in public places. An increasing number of primary,
junior high and senior high schools nationwide are introducing a total ban
on smoking. However, the law does not stipulate penalties for violations.

Most private businesses have taken no action to comply with the law. More
than 80 percent of Japan's restaurants and bars have yet to restrict
smoking. No-smoking taxis account for only 0.6 percent of the nation's
company-operated taxi fleets. Competition is harsh in the taxi industry, and
operators are reluctant to offend smoking customers by imposing no-smoking
rules. They are more interested in promoting business than in protecting
drivers' health.

As for the Convention, the Foreign Ministry says no new legislative and
budgetary measures are needed to implement it. I am disturbed by the
apparent lack of enthusiasm for it.  To deal with the coming implementation
of the convention, the Finance Ministry has proposed a revision of the
health warning printed on cigarette packages. Yet the wording of the warning
suggests that the ministry is trying to play down the health risks.

Health warnings on cigarette packages sold in European Union countries,
Canada, Australia, Brazil, Thailand and Malaysia say bluntly that smoking
causes lung cancer. The new health warning in Japan would be longer but
weaker: "Smoking could be one of the causes of lung cancer for you.
Epidemiological studies show that smokers have a two- to four-times higher
risk of dying from lung cancer than do nonsmokers."

About 80 percent of lung-cancer cases are known to be caused by smoking. The
statement that smoking could be one of the causes of the disease is a
linguistic manipulation aimed at minimizing bad publicity. The sentence
"Epidemiological studies show . . ." is unnecessary.  With the health
warning limited to 30 percent of the cigarette package space, the proposed
warning will be difficult to read. The warning advises smokers, in
parenthesis, to check the health ministry Web site for further details. The
overly polite language will have little effect on smokers.

Like those in Canada, Thailand and Brazil, the warning should carry
illustrations or pictures indicating health damage from smoking. The
proposed warning is barely an improvement.

Proposed restrictions on tobacco advertisements will be based on Finance
Ministry guidelines and the tobacco industry's voluntary curbs. The industry
may publish advertisements up to 12 times a year and three times a month in
daily newspapers, with no restrictions on advertisements in magazines.
Sample cigarettes and leaflets may be distributed to adults only, but the
question is how to tell adults from minors.

In accordance with the spirit of the convention, the EU banned the use of
misleading labeling descriptions such as "low-tar, light, ultra-light and
mild" on cigarette packages. In Japan, though, the continued use of the
"Mild Seven" brand has been permitted provided that a note on the package
says that the brand does not pose less of a health risk than other brands.
This shows the Finance Ministry trying to maintain the status quo.

There have been mounting calls for the abolition of cigarette-vending
machines to prevent smoking by minors, but it is left up to the industry to
deal with the issue. At present, the industry is conducting a second round
of tests as it tries to develop vending machines that can identify the
purchaser's age. The machines are expected to be installed nationwide by
2008. Until then, there will be little control on such cigarette sales.

Moreover, cigarette prices are too low in Japan. They average about
one-third of prices in Britain and Ireland, and less than half of prices in
France and Sweden. European countries use tobacco price hikes to curb
smoking. The Finance Ministry should implement a sharp increase in the
tobacco tax, which would help balance the budget.

Under the Tobacco Business Law, aimed at securing stable fiscal revenues in
Japan, the Finance Ministry supervises the tobacco industry while the
finance minister owns a majority share in Japan Tobacco Inc. As long as this
situation exists, little progress on tobacco control is likely in Japan.

In addition, a former senior Finance Ministry official has been named JT
chairman, replacing his predecessor who had a similar background. Collusion
between the ministry and JT is unlikely to end anytime soon. Don't look for
JT's total privatization to materialize, as measures to convert tobacco
production to other farming activities are making little headway.

To comply with the WHO Convention, the Tobacco Business Law should be
abolished and a comprehensive tobacco control legislation should be worked
out.  Promotion of smoking restrictions in the immediate future will require
close cooperation among all government departments, including the health,
finance, education, transport and other ministries as well as the National
Police Agency.

The Convention calls for establishing a mechanism for domestic policy
coordination, but that has not happened. The health ministry should lead
efforts to establish an interagency council to work out antismoking policies
that the public will be proud of.

Kiroku Hanai, a former editorial writer for a vernacular newspaper, writes
on a wide range of issues, including international relations.