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Japan set to oppose tobacco consumption cuts
The Japan Times Online ^
| October 8, 2002
| No byline
Posted on 10/08/2002 8:40:54 PM PDT by altair
Japan set to oppose tobacco consumption cuts
Japan will formally oppose tobacco consumption cuts at an international conference in Geneva on a global treaty to control tobacco, government sources said Monday.
The position is expected to be included in a report that a Finance Ministry panel on tobacco will soon submit to Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa, they said.
The conference, starting Oct. 14, is expected to discuss a draft for the final stage of negotiations on a Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, an international treaty under the auspices of the World Health Organization.
Japan is known for being the most resistant among industrial countries to adopting an international treaty on tobacco controls.
The government's position will clash directly with the objective of the proposed treaty -- to reduce health damage arising from tobacco use by cutting back on consumption and output.
According to the sources, Japan will argue that tobacco should be defined as an "article of taste" for adults and not treated simply as something whose consumption must be cut.
The drive to control tobacco use should instead focus on providing information on the health risks involved, making efforts to prevent smoking among minors and curbing passive smoking in public spaces, the sources said.
Participating countries aim to reach an agreement on the global treaty by May.
The government is coordinating opinion among concerned agencies, including the Foreign Ministry; the Finance Ministry; the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry; and the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, the sources said.
The Japan Times: Oct. 8, 2002
(C) All rights reserved
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Japan; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: pufflist; smoking; unitednations; warondrugs
An international treaty on tobacco control?
1
posted on
10/08/2002 8:40:54 PM PDT
by
altair
To: SheLion
ping
3
posted on
10/08/2002 8:41:29 PM PDT
by
altair
To: altair
hmmmm, would like to see the US response to this treaty. After all, we are the most free, right? Even though it says Japan was the most resistant to this treaty.
To: PistolPaknMama
The US has not given an official response yet.
To: altair
I'd guess that Japan taxes the crap out of that "article of taste" just like the US does.
Can't have revenues drop all of a sudden can we?
Seriously, they do smoke up a storm but so do many other countries - few of which are actually producers of anything remotely tobacco like.
6
posted on
10/08/2002 8:50:09 PM PDT
by
norton
To: altair
This has been in the works for between 6 months to a year.
It is being driven by the UNs health arm WHO (World Health Organization).
They want an international tobacco tax and the governments that sign on will have specific ways given them to cut tobacco consumption.
To: *puff_list; SheLion
PUFF
To: norton
I'd guess that Japan taxes the crap out of that "article of taste" just like the US does.Actually, not really. A premium imported brand costs 280yen per pack, a domestic brand costs 250yen per pack (~$2). By Japanese standards, that's cheap.
Can't have revenues drop all of a sudden can we?
Japan Tobacco bought out RJ Reynolds, if I recall correctly, so Japan has a huge market share world wide of tobacco sales.
9
posted on
10/08/2002 9:01:05 PM PDT
by
altair
To: Just another Joe
international tobacco tax ah ha! How did I know this wasn't about health!!
To: Just another Joe
This has been in the works for between 6 months to a year.Interesting. This is the first I've heard of it.
They want an international tobacco tax and the governments that sign on will have specific ways given them to cut tobacco consumption.
Wonderful. What good is a tax when at the same time you're discouraging consumption? Taxation I can understand. What I don't understand is the demonization.
11
posted on
10/08/2002 9:04:55 PM PDT
by
altair
To: PistolPaknMama
would like to see the US response to this treaty.Me too. An international tobacco tax will have serious revenue implications against the domestic taxes.
12
posted on
10/08/2002 9:07:22 PM PDT
by
altair
To: altair
Hey , up until about 20 years ago the GOVERNMENT was selling cigs . As far as I know JT is a private company and HUGE . The government has no interest in seeing the " people to be governed " quit butts . The tax revenue obviously greater than the amount they shell out for hospitalizing those with lung and other cancers caused by smoking .
13
posted on
10/08/2002 9:32:21 PM PDT
by
sushiman
To: altair
An international tobacco tax will have serious revenue implications against the domestic taxesworse! when the UN implements the first of it's own tax base, this is all over!
To: sushiman
The Govt still sells smokes.
BX and commisaries carry them to this day.
15
posted on
10/08/2002 9:36:30 PM PDT
by
spectre
To: spectre
I think sushiman was referring to the Japanese gov't previously owning Japan Tobacco.
I smoke Japanese cigarettes here because they are cheaper than cigarettes at the exchange, about $2.00 a pack vice $3.25. Exchange smokes are nontaxable, but they've jacked up the price so they can say they're not promoting smoking. Nice windfall for MWR.
To: PistolPaknMama
worse! when the UN implements the first of it's own tax base, this is all over!Yup. A slippery slope from which there will be no return.
17
posted on
10/08/2002 10:48:38 PM PDT
by
altair
To: spectre
I think sushiman was referring to the Japanese gov't previously owning Japan Tobacco.
I smoke Japanese cigarettes here because they are cheaper than cigarettes at the exchange, about $2.00 a pack vice $3.25. Exchange smokes are nontaxable, but they've jacked up the price so they can say they're not promoting smoking. Nice windfall for MWR.
To: altair
An international treaty on tobacco control?It had to come, wonder what took the fanatics so long.
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