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© Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Japan Tobacco to halt domestic shipments March 30-April 10 due to quake
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hokkaidoguy
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NuckinFutz
While I know this is bad news for smokers and will hurt many economically, it is a great opportunity for people to kick the habit and add years to their lives!
bobcatfish
..and reduce the chances of getting abused by me in the street.
Zenny11
YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
Agreed good timing and chance if you want to kick the habit.
JT been shifting its business model away from Tobacco for some years now.
hokkaidoguy
Yeah, it's like they always say: If you're going to quit smoking, the best time to quit is when you're under massive amounts of stress.
sharpie
what brands are affected? marlboro?
alladin
Now is a great time for smokers in Japan to quit smoking.
bicultural
That's one less health risk to worry about.
Elbuda Mexicano
The Tohoku region may also be a tobacco growing area, I know Nigata is and they have similar weather. I hate smoke, and I really find smoking such a dirty, horrible addiction so for me, HURRY!!! BANZAI!! Stop smoking now!
gaijintraveller
This could more than make up for the negative effect on health of radiation.
sharpie
gaijintraveller, have some respect for the unfortunate people who are from there as u sit in your heated room watching tv, surfing the net and eating hot food. please have some class.
noriyosan73
People will tolerate a shortage of food and water, but when it comes to tobacco, __ fill in the blank!
Frungy
No. You see all that will happen is that smokers will switch to imported brands, further weakening the yen due to exchange imbalances at a time when Japan is going to be increasingly reliant on imported food (more so than usual!). This is going to hit the poorest Japanese right where it hurts, their stomachs.
As usual the short-sighted anti-smoking brigade misses the point.
USNinJapan2
Frungy
What!?!? Weak yen!? The rate was 79 yen to the dollar a couple of days ago and 81 today! What in the hell are you talking about/
Zenny11
With the current uncertainty of the future I somehow doubt people switch to more expensive brands.
More likely they will keep that money for "just in case" future events.
But might be wrong they might go panic buying on cartoons.
Zenny11
cartons
Sarge
This disruption is only for 11 days.
"Winston"
Tastes good like a cigarette should? LOL.
HermioneGranger
Any chance this could be extended indefinitely? "Japan becomes the second country to ban tobacco." A much better title for an article.
Frungy
eyeroll Okay, apparently you're mistaking a short-term spike in the yen for something it isn't. Japanese companies are selling dollars/euros/etc and buying yen as they repariate overseas investments since they need funds right now to deal with the crisis. This has resulted in a short-term artificial bloating of the yen, which will be followed by a medium to long-term depression in the yen as Japanese companies export less, and there's less market for Japanese products that overseas markets perceive (right or wrong) as radioactive. Japan's foreign currency income from overseas investments (now being liquidated) will further exacerbate the currency imbalance, as will the internal demand in Japan for imported foods and goods (because of domestic radiation concerns).
In short, the yen is up right now, but it's going to crash in the near future. Enjoy it while it lasts, but this interruption in domestic supply is just going to make the situation worse in the long-run since a percentage of smokers who change from domestic brands to foreign brands will stay changed.
Sherbert people, it doesn't take a genius to realise that the yen is going to be in trouble.
sengoku38
Good. JT gives us all more radiation than TEPCO. I don't know why smoking is still legal anywhere in the world.
WordStar
This should set off the panic buyers again.
USNinJapan2
Frungy
It's been sub-85JPY/$ since last September and sub-100JPY/$ since April. That's not a short term spike.
oberst
non-smokers often fail to recognise the " contribution " of smokers............
TAX revenue.
Pukey2
smokers often fail to recognise the " contribution " of smokers............
Second hand smoke..........leading to lung cancer and other health problems in others.
Patricia Yarrow
Good time to ban all indoor smoking. Next...ban all outdoor on the streets smoking. How many times do I have to swerve my bike to escape some goon's trail of cancel clouds blowing down the road? Every danged day!
Have stress? Drink, take a nap (this really works!) or chew a pencil, or something better than lighting up!
oberst
sending smoke signal in open space ( as most smokers are forced to do these days ) is like dumping radioactive water to the ocean, soon to be diluted to no threat ................ LOL
The758
I hate these articles about smoking: the anti-smoking brigade start heating-up the tar and frothing at the mouth
bobcatfish
i had to tell off the "manner up" volunteer for smoking in the street today. poor, guy. i thought he was going to cry.
mousepotato464
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse.
USNinJapan2
The758
No, I believe the correct term is, "normal people." Try again.
Patricia Yarrow
I hear ya, "mousepotatoe"!
cwhite
maybe they can use slightly irradiated tobacco leaves. I suppose they could donate all the profit to charity, but I would have still preferred they just tear the factory down and slap a 1000% tax on imports.
TheQuestion
Better get this back up and running soon, otherwise other tobacco producing countries might start diverting their cigar crop to cigarettes. I don't care about cigarette smokers but I'll not have my Cohiba prices modified.
Patricia Yarrow
Right you are, USNinJapan2.
nath
"Further weakening the yen"?? You do know that the yen is really strong right now, which hurts the Japanese economy through its exporters. With the yen this strong, it would be a good time for Japanese to be temporarily reliant on foreign brands.
Is this going to affect Natural American Spirits? My friend wants to know.