Department of Health, Labor and Welfare proposed the idea
to reduce the concentration of tobacco smoke,
if the premises cannot accept the total ban.
厚生労働省、全面禁煙でなく濃度規制を提言
Department of Health, Labor and Welfare proposed the idea to reduce the concentration of tobacco smoke, if the premises cannot accept the total ban. 厚生労働省、全面禁煙でなく濃度規制を提言 |
Department of Health, Labor and Welfare started to restrict smoking in restaurants
and hotels to protect a person who works in the smoking space. The Asahi Shimbun reported
to determine and enforce the minimum concentration of tobacco smoke floating in restaurants,
bars and public spaces in a hotel. After assessment, if no change was possible in their premises,
the owner of the firm has to accept a total smoking ban or to provide a separate room for
smokers.
This restriction on the facilities which allow smoking inside is based on the new movement
of a revision of the Industrial safety and Health Act in 2011. If it is approved by the diet,
it will have more power than the present Health Promotion Law, and all firms have to
improve to meet the requirement, or simply accept a policy to prohibit smoking entirely.
The proposed minimum concentration of tobacco smoke is 0.15mg/cubic meter. For reference,
the tobacco- smoke concentration in the smoking-car of a JR-Tokai's Shinkansen train is estimated
as 0.79, and non-smoking car next to the smoking-vehicle as 0.18 mg/cubic meter.
Opposition could be aroused from members of a committee saying it is too early to enforce
such a restriction, and the food industries that cannot mend their facilities, because of technical
and financial difficulty, should be exempted from a newly proposed restriction.
In Japan, a separate smoking room will be accepted by the authority. I am afraid that
the government has no mind to enforce a total ban in an enclosed public place even after 2011.
The article was written by Junhaku Miyamoto, MD, PhD, August 10 2010.
Department of Health, Labor and Welfare denied a countrywide total smoking ban
in Japan (2008).
Accordance to the agreement of the World Health Organization FrameworkConventionon Tobacco Control,
all signatory nations, including Japan, are required to ban smoking in all enclosed public places by February 2010.
However, Junichiro Mori, Department of Health, Labor and Welfare denied the acceptance of a total smoking ban
in restaurants, and other indoor public places in Japan, because we already separated the space to non-smoking
and smoking. He said to Yomiuri Shimbun in November, 2008.
Smokeless tobacco
We do not need to do anything about the smokeless tobacco, because it is not included as the subject of
'Health Promotion Law', since it does not exhaust tobacco-smoke, said the man in command of tobacco control,
the Department of Health, Laborand Welfare of Japanese Government.
Source: Sankei Shimbun July, 5, 2010
Comment:
The Japan tobacco Inc. cunningly intended to whisk into the loophole of the law. At the same time,
the company knows this is a tobacco, and it may cause an oral cancer and other serious diseases.
We understand that, under the 'Health Promotion Law' which was established in 2002. It might be difficult
to restrict the use of this kind of tobacco product in an enclosed public area. However, an officer in
the Department of Health should publicize the possible adverse effect of the smokeless tobacco,
and advice to stop using the new tobacco product in the indoor space, where other people are there,
because of a toxic substance, which contained in tobacco leaf could be exhausted by a smoker.
The man in command of tobacco control, Minsitryof Health looks backward rather than forward in
the way of thinking of people's health.
At present, no enforced law is present for the smokeless tobacco. All public places such as restaurant
and coffee shops as well as offices will react to this new revelation. Regardless of being smokeless,
the tobacco company has the same warning message onthe package of this no-smoke cigarette,
just like the regular cigarette, the final verdictrests on a firm and individual.
July 6, 2010, by Junhaku Miyamoto, MD, PhD
朝日新聞報道（2010年8月8日）によれば、厚生労働省は、飲食店や宿泊施設の喫煙規制に
乗り出す。ただし、全面禁煙を義務ずけるのではなく、接客する従業員の受動喫煙を防ぐため、
室内のたばこの煙の濃度を一定基準以下に抑えるように強いる方針だ。十分な換気設備を
調えるのが難しい場合は、禁煙を迫られることになり、多くの飲食店でたばこが吸えなくなる
可能性が出たとも言える。
労働安全衛生法は労働者保護のための職場環境の最低基準を定めており、より拘束力が
強いが、その改正案を2011年の通常国会に出す考えであるが、焦点は飲食店など客が
喫煙するサービス産業の扱いで、タバコの煙に含まれる有害物質の空気中濃度を規制する
方向で検討している。濃度の具体的基準について厚労省から検討を委ねられた専門家委員会は近く「１立方メートル
あたりの浮遊粉じんが０．１５ミリグラム以下」との報告をまとめる見通しだ。濃度については、
新幹線の喫煙車が平均０．７９ミリグラム、喫煙車の隣の禁煙車は同０．１８ミリグラムという
調査がある。０．１５ミリグラム以下という濃度は、労働安全衛生法に基づく規則が、一般の事務所に課して
いる環境基準と同じ。厚労省は、この濃度基準に見合った換気設備の換気量も併せて示し、
濃度か換気量のいずれかの基準を満たすよう、事業者に義務づける方針である。濃度規制が導入されれば、事業者は（１）店内を全面禁煙にする（２）喫煙室を設ける
（３）煙を十分排気できる強力な換気設備を調える、のいずれかの対応が求められる。
高層ビルのテナントや狭い店など設備の改修が技術的に難しい場合や、改修のための
資金が乏しい中小の店では、禁煙にせざるをえなくなりそうだ。問題は労使代表が加わる
労働政策審議会で、業種や店の規模による除外規定を設けるかどうかや、罰則を導入する
かどうかなどを詰めるとの報道だ。除外規定を設けて規制を無に近いものとすれば、悪法、
神奈川県条例の二の舞となり、最後の頼みの国に裏切られることになる。検討委員からは
「規制を一気に強める」ことへの慎重論が出ている。
●「WHOなどの勧告に実施義務はない」
「現実として全面禁煙ができない中では、段階的努力として分煙を進めるしかない」
厚生労働省健康局生活習慣病対策室たばこ対策専門官、森淳一郎氏発言
(2008年11月8日付読売新聞報道)
●法律の盲点、隙間をかいくぐって発売した「無煙タバコ」は受動喫煙の対象とはならない。
「健康増進法25条では受動喫煙をタバコの煙によるものとしているため、煙の出ない
タバコの使用は禁止出来ない。」厚生労働省健康局生活習慣病対策室
(2010年7月5日付産経新聞報道)
厚生労働省は全面禁煙以外の選択肢として濃度規制を導入
2010年7月執筆
「禁煙席ネット」主宰 タバコフリー学会顧問 医学博士 宮本順伯
★「禁煙席ネット」へのリンクは自由
The photographs were taken and the article was written in July 2010,
by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D., PhD.
|
|
