TOKYO (Reuters) – Patrons of Tokyo restaurants and bars will be able to light up indoors for the last time on Tuesday as one of the world’s most cigarette-friendly cities starts enforcing anti-smoking laws from April 1.
FILE PHOTO: A man smokes at an ‘izakaya’ restaurant or pub in Tokyo, Japan March 15, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo
Japan lags behind many countries in its efforts to reduce tobacco usage, and the ban – just in Tokyo – only applies to traditional cigarettes, not so-called “heat not burn” devices for which Japan is the world’s biggest market. E-cigarettes that use liquid nicotine are banned.
The ban was part of Tokyo’s preparations for the now-delayed 2020 Olympics, and covers establishments with hired employees, meaning many of the family-owned-and-operated bars and restaurants that the city is famous for are exempt.
It took two years for the ban to come into effect – parliament approved the law in 2018