A
message from Peter
Hello! I am Peter, and I am helping to organize this event. After
coming to Japan to study, I was shocked to see how often Japanese
people are exposed to second-hand smoke, especially since smoking
is not allowed inside restaurants, cafes, and other public places
in America. The vast majority of developed countries, including Europe
and Asian countries such as Thailand and Singapore, have enacted similar
bans on smoking in public places, and if Japan wants to be a responsible
member of the global community, it must act quickly. During this "Smoke-Free
Walk", we will call on Japan to adopt strict tobacco control
measures in order to protect the health of people living in Japan
and reduce health care costs. I hope you can join us, together we
can make Japan a healthy place to live. Peter (graduate student)
1.Raise awareness about the dangers of second-hand
smoke
Exposure to second-hand smoke is dangerous, even for short periods
of time. We will call on the government to ban smoking in restaurants,
cafes, and all public places.
2.Call on Japan to abide by international public health standards
Although Japan has signed and ratified an international treaty regarding
tobacco control (the FCTC)*, the government
has failed to fulfill its commitment to implement strict tobacco
control measures as outlined in the treaty. *An international
treaty devised to decrease cigarette consumption and prevent passive
smoking.
3.To avoid social costs due to smoking
Medical expenses necessary to cure tobacco-related diseases by far outnumber tax receipts from cigarette sales.By regulating smoking,these expenses can be reduced,which is also related to increase in productivity.
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