The Kanagawa prefecture ordinance of the tobacco control admitted smoking space
in a public venue, according to the bow before the wishes of tobacco companies and
prefecture assembly members to oppose the carpet smoking ban.
This local law legally approved a separate space, providing in a public place for smokers.
They accepted a separate smoking system, which has been abandoned in
the advanced counties after the year of 2003. As a result, the Kanagwa Prefecture
ordinance watered down to one of the world worst local anti-smoking law.
You had better not established yourself in such an ordinance.
In Japan, there is an opinion that we should provide a separate smoking area in a public space.
This is rather the unusual way of thinking, compared to the people in an advanced smoking-restricted
countries. Many Japanese residents were brainwashed through media sponsored by a tobacco
company. A separate smoking system has abandoned in many countries, because of that we
cannot protect workers in restaurants and trains. A trend to the total smoking ban in a public inside
space is evident since 2003. The most important segment of the clean-air act is to prevent a passive,
or second-hand smoking. When we reserve a separate smoking room inside, nobody can protect
a person who is in a building or transportation vehicle. If an anti-smoking organization admits a
smoking area inside, it means that when the non-smokers themselves are safe, they do not care
about the workers there, in a public venue.
Indoor smoking space should be eliminated from the ordinance to protect a worker.
Dr.Martina P Langer, Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Control.
A lecture talk at the Japan Medical Association, Tokyo, June 2006
Dr. Martina P Langer, a recipient of the WHO's Tobacco Free World Award and recipient of
the Cross of Merit on the ribbon of the Fedral Prepublic of Germany for cancer prevention and
nonsmokers' rights initiatives, spoke with fervent that the smoke-free ordinance is the only
way to avoid the adverse effects from cigarette smoke. She stressed a legislator be cautious
and should not be caught in a trap set by a tobacco company.
In June 2013, Dr. Miyamoto made a courtesy call on Dr.Martina P Langer, in Germany.
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An outside smoking restriction by a local ordinance
Dr. Chapman, the Professor of University of Sydney, School of Public Health said that
the tobacco industry's support for the measures in banning smoking outside in Japan
is actually to foil an attempt to re-frame the issue so that attention is diverted from
efforts to ban smoking indoors, such as in workplaces, including bars and restaurants.
in order to foil to prevent clean indoor air policy.
Merchant Citing the benefits of genuine products to sell imitation
Matsuzawa, Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture tried to deceive the people using the
fact that the incidence of myocardial infarction ( heart attack ) reduced after a total
smoking ban which was enforced in Scotland in 2006, as if the Kanagawa Prefectual
ordinance may accompany with the same favorite effect of the Scotland's law.
Governor Matsuzawa said at the Yokohama City University, he expressed his hope,
Kanagawa's anti-smoking ordinance will lead the Japan's tobacco policy, in proud
of the first ordinance of this kind in Japan.
Many people will be deceived by this talk. There is a huge difference in the contents
of anti-smoking law between Scotland and Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. Clearly,
the governor tried to hide the inadequacy of Kanagawa ordinance, by camouflage.
The Kanagawa ordinance exempted small-scale facilities less than 100 square meter,
which consists about 70% of total. Further, the governor recommended providing
non-smoking and smoking rooms in restaurants and bars. He stressed the need to
set up a separate smoking room in eating and drinking and other public places, and
offered a financial support to create a smoking space inside. He approved waiter and
waitress to work at a restaurant and bars with full of toxic tobacco-smoke. Regretfully,
the members of general assembly in Kanagawa Prefecture voted for the ordinance,
which completely neglected the safety of workers. Kanagawa Prefecture law will take
effect in coming April.
Junhaku Miyamoto, MD,PhD: January10, 2010
In December 2008, the Governor Matsuzawa of Kanagawa Prefectures announced the revised law
to restrict smoking in some areas in public places. He stressed to provide a smoking section in
restaurants and pub, and officially admitted giving up to protect the employees's health in the
places where they work.
January 10, 2010 Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D.,PhD
REVIEW Kanagawa Ordinance
１」 Review of the opinion survey on the Kanagawa residents toward a smoking ban in public spaces
employees to work in the toxic tobacco-smoke space.
proposed by Kanagawa Prefecture?
The Kanagawa ordinance for a smoking ban will result in a serious injurious effect to
the future tobacco policy.
Kanagawa Pref. New Anti-smoke Law abandoned to protect the employees' health
in the places where they work.
workers' justice which is guaranteed by the constitution.
in view of the protection of workers.
Article by Kyosen Ohashi
Mr. Matsuzawa, the former Kanagawa Prefectural Governor, announced in his website that he will
make to do his best to establish the separate systems of the indoor space for smokers.
His principal and position to divide a public place to the two, are almost same to the tobacco company.
November 2011, Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D., PhD.
Naoki Inose, a prize-winning writer turned Tokyo's deputy chief, won a landslide victory in gubernatorial
election in the capital in December 2012, obtaining more than four million votes, the largest an individual
has ever had in a domestic election, exceeding votes for former Tokyo Gov. Ryokichi Minobe in 1971.
Mr. Inose served five and a half years as Ishihara's right-hand man, and pledged an overhaul
of Haneda Internationl Airport into a full-fledged international facility. He proposed to combine
the municipal subway network and the Tokyo Metro railway systems into the one railway company.
(L) The difference in the number of votes between Inose and Matsuzawa
(R) The difference in the voting rate between Inose and Matsuzawa
During their respective campaigns, former governor, Matsuzawa, 54, appealed to establish a separate-
smoking-system, i.e., smokers and non-smokers, in food industries, which is almost the same to tobacco
company's claim, was suffered a crushing defeat. While he was in power, Matsuzawa established the
prefecture ordinance, which was against to the smokefree society, and its adverse effect can never retrieval.
He guided people to the wrong direction, with an idea to provide a smoking room in a public space.
The ministry of Health and Welfare followed this rule. Unfortunately, as a result, the society in Japan
became far from the total smoking ban policy, which many advanced industrial countries have accepted.
On the other hand, Governor Inose, 66, also follows to carry forward Ishihara's policies, including a bid to
host the 2020 Olympics. However, since he is rather negative about anti-smoking ordinance, how can he
succeed to gain the agreement of IOC members, without enforcing the total smoking ban in food industries?
December 2012, written by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D., PhD..
Japan must move faster on anti-smoking laws, written by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D.,PhD.
日本語
Do not repeat the mistake of the Kanagawa anti-smoking law.
2011年11月執筆、 2012年12月加筆
執筆 医学博士 宮本順伯
The article was written in November 2011, by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D., PhD.
Copyright(C) 2011 Junhaku Miyamoto, All rights reserved.
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