The Science Council of Japan has recommended that the government raise taxes on cigarettes:
The council submitted a suggestion to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on Tuesday to introduce tightened regulations in seven areas, including a major increase in tobacco tax. The council had been considering measures since June 2006.
Under tobacco regulation criteria produced by scientists in Europe, Japan was found to score only 25.5 points in its smoking countermeasures, placing the nation last when compared to 30 other countries in Europe. Ireland had the strongest measures against smoking, scoring 71 points.
The science council’s proposal to the ministry includes banning cigarette vending machines, setting numerical targets to reduce smoking rates, and doubling tobacco tax, which currently stands at 189 yen per packet. Under the suggestions, yearly consumption — now standing at about 27 billion cigarettes — would fall by one quarter and at least 2 million people would stop smoking, calculations showed. Tax proceeds would increase by about 1.2 trillion yen from the current 2.3 trillion yen under the measures.
Council members have pointed out that smoking is responsible for ailments including cancer, and well as for fires and environmental pollution. The economic damage, say scientists, stands at about 7.3 trillion yen, outweighing revenue from tax on cigarettes.
A World Health Organization comparison on smoking in 2002 showed that the smoking rate among males in Japan was 47 percent, compared with only 27 percent in the United Kingdom and 24 percent in the United States.
Could Japan’s days of cheap cigarettes be coming to an end?
Do you agree with the suggested taxe increase? 
