Tobaccoless in Osaka

[thomas]

Mmmmh...

Smoking said drag on image of Osaka

"One of the worst problems in Osaka is the large number of people who smoke while walking along crowded streets," Nogami said. "Children accompanying parents are at eye level with the cigarettes people hold, and the smoke goes right into their faces."

Nogami is the head of Tobaccoless, an Osaka-based nongovernmental organization pushing local governments nationwide to pass ordinances that ban smoking in public places. The group supported the historic decision last year by Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward to ban smoking on the street in several areas, and Nogami said it is now time for his group to redirect its efforts to its own backyard.

"Historically, Osaka has lagged behind Tokyo and other local governments on public health and environmental issues," he said. "For example, Osaka was the last major city to ban smoking in municipal subway stations."

In late January, Tobaccoless called on the city to enact legislation to make it illegal to walk along a street with a lighted cigarette. Nogami said the ordinance would remove the danger of being burned by a cigarette, reduce fire hazards and save the city more than 10 million yen a year in cleanup costs.

=> http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/...20030211b6.htm

Related website:

Coalition on a Smoke-free Environment for Kids in Japan (J/E)