INSIDE JAPAN from our view

TOKYO — The rate of adult smokers in Japan fell to a record low of 29.2% as of June, down 0.2 percentage point from a year earlier for the 10th straight year of declines, a Japan Tobacco Inc survey said Tuesday. Growing awareness of the hazards of smoking and tougher legal restrictions on smoking in public mainly contributed to the decrease, JT officials said.

I live in Kyushu island. Kyushu is a southern part of Japan and its population is about 10 million, about one tenth of this country. That is why this island is called “one tenth of Japanese economy”.  Kyushu is a kind of remote areas. This region is so far from Tokyo that some enterprises try to test some innovative ideas or commodities.

The cigarette card is one of these tests in Kyushu island.

This card was invented to prevent youth under 20 years old to buy cigarettes. You should have to show your ID which prove that you are over 20 years old and get a personal cigarette card at one of registered shops before you buy cigarettes. This system was introduced to a part of this island whose name is Tanegashima a couple of years ago.

It is a model case tested by Japan Tobacco Inc, a former public company of cigarette. The problem is that this card system costs too much. However it has been very successful for youngsters not to buy a cigarette.

Just like USA, Japan has become one of very strict countries where smoking is regarded as a not-selfconrolled person who have no patience at all. If this system is perfectly applied to all over Japan, the rate of adult smokers will fell rapidly because high schools are nestles where people are likely to begin smoking.