Total smoking ban to be introduced at Tokyo 2020 venues

March 1, 2019

Tokyo--Smoking will be totally banned on the premises of all event venues during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the organizing committee for the games has said.

The total ban reflects the growing antismoking sentiment in the society and is in line with the International Olympic Committee's calls for smoke-free games.

Smoking of heat-not-burn cigarettes will also be banned.

According to the organizing committee, open-air smoking areas were set up within the premises of event venues of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and smoking zones for staff members were created at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Compared to these cases, tougher regulations on smoking will be introduced during the Tokyo Games.

In Tokyo, smoking will be banned in principle in the Olympic village for athletes, hotels where IOC officials will stay and the main press center. In these sites, however, smoking areas will be established in locations away from visitor flow lines.

The organizing committee will work on publicizing the rules on smoking to make sure they will be observed. Jiji Press