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Japan's smoking rates continue to decline for men, women in 2022
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nosuke
Good
David Brent
Certainly not declining here in Kyushu.
Mr Kipling
Great news, I look forward to the day the rate hits zero.
Spitfire
How come Japan is always behind western Countries?
Smoking rates, vaccination rollout rates, animal welfare,sex offender list, etc.
diagonalslip
well, tobacco. what about vapes, or is that beneficial to health, and wallet? wherever I go I see more people vaping than tobacco-ing....
justasking
I have been in this country 25 plus years and compared to when I first arrived when people walked down the street with a cigarette in their hand and blowing that stinky crap in your face a HUGE change and grateful for it, too.
Paul
Vapes contain nicotine, but do not produce tar or carbon monoxide.
E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals that help to make the aerosol. The liquid used in e-cigarettes often contains nicotine and flavorings. This liquid is sometimes called “e-juice,” “e-liquid,” “vape juice,” or “vape liquid.”
Otherwise, there would be no point vaping if there was no nicotine in them....
enmaai
Are they considering their stats on people quitting fire heated cigarettes switching to e-cigs?
Garthgoyle
Japan had the lamest and most stupid approach I've seen regarding to smoking.
Smoking outside on the street, bad for people's health.
Smoking indoors, "no proven facts" (according to J-politicians) that secondhand smoking is bad. So it's totally fine to smoke indoors.
Patricia Yarrow
It is a pipe dream, but I truly wish JT would put a message on every single cancer-stick carton to be responsible for the end product: the ciggie butt, and to NOT throw in the streets. Take it home and throw it away there. Carry a little kiss-purse to collect them in the meanwhile. Jeez, the street trash from smokers is really discouraging.
albaleo
It was also reported here recently that life expectancy has dropped. Should we ask if there is a connection?
And don't forget shooting deaths, imprisonment rate, obesity rate, etc. A lot of catching up to do, eh.
divinda
So overall thats a decrease among about 2..3% of the population.
Makes me wonder, how much of this is people actually quitting...
...and how much of this is from people dying off?
factchecker
Not available in Japan
EFD
Have to agree with Justasking.
been here 28 out of the last 32 years give or take. The difference is remarkable. As I recall, roughly 45-50% of men and around 25% of women smoked when I got here at the last gasp of the bubble era, as did I.
I finally after many, many attempts and a on and off history of smoking, managed to quit for good 2 years ago. So glad I did. Hope it wasn’t too late. Better later than never I guess.
I think that a change in what is socially acceptable, and restrictions on where smoking is allowed have made a big difference.
It used to be totally normal to have a puff walking down the street or in a public toilet. That’s a no-no now and it’s a good thing.
I think in another 20 years the rates will be tiny because smoking will make one a social pariah, and because most people still smoking will have died from it by then.
Stephen Chin
Addiction? To cigarettes? To alcohol?
How to stop Addiction to Cigarette and to Alcohol?
It may take a loooooooolong time! But Parents AND Schools START training children to Hate cigarettes AND alcohol NOW !
At seven years, I took ! a ! sip ! from my father's whisky. That was my First and Last taste of alcohol.
At seven years, I took ! a ! puff ! from my grandfather's cigarette. That was my First and Last puff of cigarette smoke.
I am enjoying a long life. In January, Mary Simon - Governor General of Canada sent me happy greetings for my birthday. She was seven years early. I think she thinks: seven years early is better than never.
TorafusuTorasan
@piskian--the government holds a 33.4 percent stake in JT, accounting for 2 trillion yen, or 6 percent, out of the governments 32.8 trillion in share holdings. Source is an article in the business section of Aug. 4 Japan Times.
TorafusuTorasan
Similar to the stake in NTT and Japan Post. Down from 50 percent at the time of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Tokyo Metro is over 50 percent govt owned.
TorafusuTorasan
@Samit--that is a pretty goofy poster. Looks like Pac-Man had too much to drink or too much sun at the beach, and is dealing with it by having a ciggy. But how was it lit by this mascot without any hands?
Sven Asai
And now what? We have even now a sinking life expectancy, statistically. Admitted, that also must not the reason, but it's of course contributing to the fact that if one risk is lowered, then other risks will rise accordingly. For example or illustration, you have then a few less lung cancer cases, but let's say more deadly sports accidents, because the more or newly non smokers then think they are fit like Hercules. And so on, bicycle or mountain climbing or swimming accidents, or even more cases of dangerous overwork and all such. Smoking isn't good, but not smoking isn't at all or at least not so very much better.
JohnnyTheWad
I love this website .!. .!. .!.
Mark
Not to worry JT will continue to find ways to sell and profit off it's Cancerous Poisons.
Alan Bogglesworth
This is the most compelling evidence we have that the Showa era is ending
リッチ
I’ve seen less cigarette smoking but electronic is everyone it seems. I’ve also seen more smokers not following the law about walking and smoking.
diagonalslip
thank you Roy and Paul for your informative reponses!!!!!
MilesTeg
Smoking is prohibited indoors in all public buildings and even in most private buildings. Some buildings have smoking rooms and they're the only place to smoke and are well ventilated plus everyone using them are smokers so they can't complain about second hand smoke.
Or are you suggesting that it should be illegal to smoke in one's own home.
Garthgoyle
@MilesTeg
Doesn't sound like you've ever been to Japan. Or maybe you don't go out too often.
The only person in this entire post suggesting it should be illegal to smoke at home is you.
Strangerland
What about his post was wrong to you?
Check.
Check
A question was asked. It wasn't a suggestion to make smoking in one's home illegal.
Garthgoyle
@Strangeland
Public buildings like city hall and the like, yes. they are not smoking.
But quite many restaurants (including family restaurants), most bars & clubs (if not all), and many cafes allow smoking.
And his question was not a question. He/she implied I suggested that.
Steven Guy
Cigarettes are far too cheap in Japan. In Australia a packet of cigarettes will cost around $50 or more. The rates of smoking in adults is down to around 11%. Advertising and displaying tobacco products is banned in Australia. Japan needs to tackle this problem far more vigorously.