Measures against Smoking at Workplaces in Japan

Introduction
In Japan, negative health effects of smoking become widely known. Measures against passive smoking are in progress after enact of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Nowadays Japanese government discusses smoking regulation at workplace by revising Industrial Safety and Health Act. We checked the proposal of the revision.

Methods
Present status of smoking regulations in workplaces and opinions for the proposal of the revision are collected from newspapers, internet and so forth.

Results
The revision based on the control of fine particles at workplace. In factories and offices, smoking rooms should be made and wind velocity from non-smoking space to smoking room is more than 0.2m/s. In hotels and restaurants, fine particle in air should be less than 0.15mg/ m3 and/or ventilation volume per seat is more than 70.3m3. This regulation seems to be very severe, as it sometimes happens even in outdoors fine particles in air is more than 0.15mg/ m3. It is said that to make such environment more than 125 thousand dollars is necessary. Measures against smoking in enterprises have been made by guideline for managers to make comfortable workplaces, which was presented by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 1992. Over 75% of enterprises are making efforts to the anti-smoking measures according to the guideline. However the measures in small companies are still insufficient, because of small budget.

Discussion
This revision is necessary to obey the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. As this revision is difficult to follow, it will make smoke-free workplaces. Assistance for smoking cessation in enterprises should be improved for smokers. It will accelerate reducing smoking rates. However this revision has not been discussed in the Diet because of the TOHOKU earthquake. The revision of Industrial Safety and Health Act will make smoke-free workplaces in Japan and also passive smoking will be gone.