The habit of smoking is harmful to health, but despite this, more than 8 million smokers die each year due to smoking. Of these, 7 million are direct smokers and 1.3 million are passive smokers. The data is from July 2023 published by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO, smoking is responsible for the leading causes of death, disease, and poverty around the globe. There are 1.3 billion smokers in the world. In Japan, on average, 20% of the population are smokers.
The use of cigarettes can also interfere with employment. Many companies prefer not to hire smokers due to the number of times they are absent from work to smoke. But a Japanese company did something different: it offered six extra vacation days to non-smoking employees to compensate for the break given to smokers. The initiative aims to combat smoking.
Initiative for Non-Smokers
A Japanese advertising agency, when launching the initiative in 2018, had 30 smokers in the company. Some would go out about seven to ten times during working hours to smoke. To make the decision to benefit non-smokers, the Human Resources Department noticed that each smoker takes an average of 15 minutes to smoke each cigarette.
With this, the company concluded that absences throughout the workday represent less productivity, so they decided to reward those who spend more time working by giving six extra vacation days compared to smokers.
In some streets in Tokyo, smoking is prohibited, but it is allowed inside many bars and restaurants. With the initiative at the company, four employees quickly became ex-smokers.
4 Facts About Smokers in Japan
1 – Men smoke more than women
The average of Japanese men who smoke is 30%, while that of women is 10%.
2 – Age to Smoke
In Japan, the minimum age to smoke is 20 years, just like for the consumption of alcoholic beverages. But despite this, the number of young smokers is lower than that of the elderly.
3 – Places for Smokers
It is prohibited to smoke on the streets of Japan, but this does not lead to the imprisonment of anyone. However, there are specific areas for smoking, especially in busier places like train stations. In restaurants, it is common to smoke where alcoholic beverages are served, such as bars or small restaurants called izakaya. In some cafes, there are specific areas inside for smokers. But in regular restaurants, it is not always easy to find these areas.
4 – Price of Cigarettes
Cigarettes in Japan cost an average of 460 yen. They are usually sold in convenience stores. It is also possible to buy them from vending machines that are common in Tokyo. For this, it is necessary to present a “residence card.”
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