Asian countries intensify anti-smoking, tobacco regulations

Stepping up their game in the war against cigarettes, four countries in Asia (Japan, China, the Philippines and Indonesia) have launched new measures to regulate smoking and tobacco products, in the interest of public health.

Limits on passive smoking which includes a complete ban on indoor smoking in restaurants, hotels and airports in Japan have already been set by the country’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

Japan’s health minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki said that the government is stepping up measures against passive smoking while seeking public understanding ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The move is also in response to a World Health Organization (WHO) report that says Japan has the weakest passive smoking prevention measures as compared to other nations.

After the implementation of a massive anti-smoking campaign, China is already seeing benefits and results. The volume of tobacco sold in the country dropped last year for the first time in more than 20 years, while Chinese tobacco consumption dropped 2.4% last year.

China strengthened its tobacco regulations by raising taxes and prohibiting indoor smoking, as well as smoking in some public outdoor areas.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has also declared war against smoking, with stricter tobacco regulations soon to be put in place. Eric Tayag, assistant health secretary for the Philippines, announced that smoking will be banned in public places starting this month.

Having some of the strictest smoking laws in Asia, the Philippines is further intensifying its fight against cigarettes by banning tobacco advertising and putting out a mandate  that requires graphic images of smoking health hazards to be printed on cigarette packaging.

Known as a “smoker’s paradise” for not signing WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Indonesia has recently revealed its plans to participate in the fight against smoking. The government of Indonesia will increase excise on cigarettes sold in the country by an average of 10.5% next year, as part of efforts to reduce smoking in the archipelago.

According to Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, the government has raised tax on cigarette to control cigarette consumption and production and to prevent the production of illegal cigarettes. However, critics point out that the move is rather more favorable to leading Indonesia’s tobacco companies Philip Morris and British American Tobacco (BAT), which account for 65% of tobacco market in Indonesia.

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Category: Features, Health alert