The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and Japanese anti-tobacco measures

Smoking rates in Japan are quite high compared to other developed countries. Japan ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on 8th June, 2004. The FCTC was enacted on 2nd 2005. We checked Japanese anti-tobacco measures from the historical viewpoints and studied necessary measures for the FCTC.From 1898 to 1985, the tobacco industry had been monopolized by the government. The tax income from the tobacco industry was very large and used for the war expenditures and so forth. There were few regulations before the end of the Second World War. The remarkable regulation for smoking before the end of the war is The Law of Prohibition of Smoking by Minors in effect since 1900.This law contains following items;1) Smoking is prohibited before twenty years of age.2) Offenders have smoking goods confiscated.3) A person with parental authority or a supervisor who does not stop smoking by minors is fined.4) Retailers of tobacco or smoking goods should check the age of the purchasers. If retailers sell tobacco or smoking goods to minors, they are fined.This law is still ineffect and even after enactment of the FCTC there are few arguments for lowering the age of smoking. After the 1960s, negative health effects of smoking have become well known.The Ministry of Health and Welfare has set a policy of smoking as follows;1. Ban of smoking by minors2. Separation of smoking areas3. Decrease consumption of tobaccoHowever, it was difficult to reduce the consumption of tobacco for the government as the tax income was so large (about 20% of all tax income).Since 1972, warnings have been printed on the packages, but the warning was very mild ("Too much smoking might have negative health effects")As the negative health effects of smoking came to be known more widely, since 2000 the government started " Healthy Japan 21" which contains anti-smoking tobacco measures. "Healthy Japan 21" is a health promotion framework which will end in 2010 [1]. One of the targets is smoking.