A member of a government panel that recommended against adorning cigarette packages with graphic photos of black lungs and other ill effects from smoking, saying such images could be unnerving. (Asahi Shimbun)
© Japan TodayVoices
in
Japan
quote of the day
It is necessary not to cause excessive discomfort.
©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
10 Comments
Login to comment
sensei258
Causing a decrease in sales, and in the thickness of my regular brown envelopes
JWTNSSN
Isn't that the purpose
commanteer
The research on whether graphic photos actually discourage smoking still is showing mixed results. I don't smoke, and I would rather not have to see hideous pictures on someone else's cigarette pack.
I saw a Chinese version that simply showed a young woman with a mirror reflecting an aged version of herself (caused by tobacco). I would thing that's more effective than nasty images of tumors that people will quickly become inured to.
smithinjapan
Because smoking itself causes discomfort to no one?
Pukey2
People deserve the right to off themselves as long as they don't involve non-smokers. Smoke away!
SimondB
....with close ties to big tobbacco
sighclops
Yeah yeah any excuse to avoid the elephant in the room (ie. affecting JT tobacco sales). Hurry up & introduce stronger anti-smoking laws!
Tanukiponpon
It has been proven many times that smokers pay so much taxes in Japan that if they all suddenly stopped the country would be quite screwed. And let's face it, in a country where people live so long, they need smoking to stop the population aging even further. That being said though I quit a year ago and it's the best decision I've ever made.
commanteer
Pretty sure that Japan's cigarette tax is among the lowest in the developed world. The bigger problem is that Japan Tobacco is a socialized business, one-third owned by the government, and they have obligations to domestic tobacco farmers. There aren't many, but they have political clout.
The first thing to do is for the Japanese government to divest itself of all tobacco investments.
coskuri
Politicians talking for lobbies are unnerving.