Men’s Smoking Rate in Japan Falls below 30 Pct for First Time

September 11, 2018

Tokyo- The proportion of regular smokers among men aged 20 or over in Japan has slipped below 30 pct for the first time since statistics started in 1986, the health ministry said Tuesday.

According to the ministry survey as of November 2017, the rate of men who smoke every day or sometimes stood at 29.4 pct, down 0.8 percentage point from a year before.

The smoking rate for adult women fell 1.0 point to 7.2 pct, also an all-time low.

The combined share of male and female smokers declined 0.6 point to a record 17.7 pct.

"The results partly reflect a growing health consciousness among people," a ministry official said.

Of all regular smokers, 28.9 pct, up 1.2 points, said they wish to quit smoking. The proportion for men stood at 26.1 pct, up 0.7 point, and that for women at 39.0 pct, up 4.0 points.

Nonsmokers were asked where they experienced passive smoking during the month before the survey. Restaurants were most cited, by 42.4 pct, up 0.2 point, followed by recreational facilities, by 37.3 pct, up 2.9 points, on the streets, by 31.7 pct, up 1.2 points, and workplaces, by 30.1 pct, down 0.8 point. Jiji Press