Talk Discussion Aiming for a Society Free of Secondhand Smoke ~ World No Tobacco Day
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare held a "World No Tobacco Day Commemorative Event" at Marunouchi Oazo in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on May 31, designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as World No Tobacco Day.
The ministry has designated the week from May 31 to June 6 as "No Smoking Week" and is conducting various activities to eliminate health hazards caused by tobacco smoke. This event, held under the theme "Toward a Society Free of Secondhand Smoke in 2020: Protecting Children from Tobacco Smoke," is one such activity.
At the opening, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki stated, "With the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics approaching and over 20 million people visiting Japan annually, tobacco will become a major international issue. During this No Smoking Week, starting with World No Tobacco Day on May 31, I ask everyone to consider the problems of tobacco and its harmful effects on health."
Singer-songwriter Ayaka Hirahara, who serves as a "Vibrant Health Ambassador," Paralympian Manami Tani (formerly Satō), Norio Sawada, Director of the Epidemiology Research Department at the National Cancer Center's Social and Health Research Center, and Takaaki Masabayashi, Director of the Health Division at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Health Bureau, participated in a talk discussion. They exchanged views on tobacco-related troubles and concerns experienced in their daily lives, as well as the dangers of secondhand smoke.
Ms. Hirahara stated, "After my daughter Mei was born, I started thinking more about secondhand smoke. I was shocked to learn that even just entering a room where someone had smoked can be harmful, even without directly inhaling the smoke. I hope that with everyone's cooperation, awareness will increase and we can create a society where no further harm occurs." She also shared her personal goals: "When you're under a lot of stress, you probably want to smoke, and if you don't smoke, you can't relieve that stress, creating a vicious cycle. I think if we first become happy ourselves and shine brightly, Japan will become healthier. I also want to strive to communicate through music, like songs that help relieve stress."
Ms. Tani commented on the dangers of tobacco as a mother of one child: "Since becoming a mother, I've become even more concerned about tobacco than before. I'm scared because there's a risk my child could accidentally swallow cigarette butts lying in the park."
In the subsequent lecture by Mr. Kota Katano, Director of the Cancer Registration Analysis Division at the Cancer Information Service of the National Cancer Center, it was revealed that passive smoking causes approximately 15,000 deaths annually in Japan. Some attendees visibly looked concerned.
At the Smart Life Project booth, which featured corners for experiencing lung age measurement using specialized equipment and vascular age measurement, general attendees hoping for health checks formed lines, demonstrating high interest in health age.
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