[Tobacco control activities in Japan].
In Japan, effective tobacco control programs have not been conducted, although there have been as many epidemiological evidences regarding health risks of tobacco smoking and passive smoking as in western European countries and the United States. This seems due to the attitude of the Japanese Government which is behind the times in promoting public health while the tobacco industry has turned a profit. The onus is on medical doctors who know the health risks of tobacco well enough to make a breakthrough in these difficulties. Medical associations and societies should take actions in shaping public opinion and lobbying for legislation of comprehensive tobacco control policy in correspondence with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) which the Japanese Government signed on 10 March, 2004.
Oshima
Akira
A
Department of Cancer Control and Statistics, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka 537-8511, Japan.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006265:Health Care Coalitions; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012926:Social Control, Formal