Japan: Bill brings ban on restaurant smoking

[yuiyoshida]

The Yomiuri ShimbunA smoking ban inside restaurants is one of the main pillars aimed at preventing damage from passive smoking (see below) in a draft revision to the Health Promotion Law, according to sources. It also allows for the installation of smoking rooms inside these facilities and imposes fines on serious violators.

The government intends to submit the draft bill to the ordinary Diet session to be convened on Friday.

The draft bill calls for a total ban on smoking on the premises of medical institutions and elementary and junior high schools. It imposes a total smoking ban inside the buildings of universities and public offices, but allows smoking outside.

Smoking inside restaurants, station buildings and other facilities is banned in principle, but such facilities may set up smoking rooms inside.

In the draft bill, the administrators of facilities used by many unidentified people, such as the buildings of public offices and public transportation, are required to post notices that smoking is prohibited there. They must also not put out ashtrays and other such items in places where smoking is banned, and make efforts to ask people to stop if they smoke there.

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003462158