for goodness' sake

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Clean Air Act

Ireland has banned smoking from its pubs since 2004, and a new study shows that lung function in pub employees has vastly improved since then.

Now, if Japan would only do the same. Even in restaurants here, the "non-smoking" section is directly next to smoking tables, so there is absolutely no smoke-free place in any public area whatsoever.

I'm hoping to report some good news on this front, but I think until the government gets rid of Japan Tobacco and its vested interests in promoting tobacco use (through public advertising on TV, billboards, etc.), no change is on the horizon.

Hooray for Ireland! I hope the Japanese government can learn from this. In fact, I'm going to e-mail JT right now. Please excuse me.

posted by Abigail (aka Mamatouille) at 6:47 AM

2 Comments:

  • I've e-mailed Japan Tobacco, so I eagerly await their rapid response! Here's my e-mail to them:

    To Whom It May Concern:

    I know JT is a very powerful force in this country, but I ask you to please read this BBC article about the benefits of removing secondhand smoke from public places (http://news.bbc.co.uk./2/hi/health/6559215.stm). I have a one-year-old baby, and I want him to have healthy lungs when he grows up. When we eat in a restaurant in Japan, the non-smoking section is directly next to the smoking section. We are planning on being in Japan a long time, and I know it's annoying and unhealthy for Japanese people as well (and many of my Japanese friends have babies that they want to grow up with healthy, strong lungs). Please consider pushing for legislation that would ban smoking from public places. Other countries around the world have already gone in this direction, and their citizens are healthier for it. Thank you for your kind consideration. Sincerely, Abigail Munday

    By Blogger Abigail (aka Mamatouille), at 7:58 AM  

  • No news. No response. Not surprised.

    By Blogger Abigail (aka Mamatouille), at 8:24 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home