Japan’s smoking prevalence falls

A study conducted in May has put the prevalence of smoking among Japanese adults at 20.9 percent, down 0.2 of a percentage point on that of a year earlier.

Smoking among men was down by 0.5 of a percentage point to 32.2 percent, while smoking among woman was up by 0.1 of a percentage point to 10.5 percent.

These figures, published today by Japan Tobacco Inc., were taken from the Japan Smoking Rate Survey, which has been conducted annually since 1965.

Using total population figures from the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, JT calculates that Japan’s smoking population comprises 21.95 million people, down from 22.16 million last year.

Smoking among men has fallen from 16.50 million to 16.23 million, while smoking among women has risen from 5.66 million to 5.72 million.

JT put the declining trend of smoking in Japan down to the country’s aging population, growing awareness about the health risks associated with smoking, the tightening of smoking-related regulations and a tax and price hike in October 2010.

The May 2013 survey was conducted using a stratified two-stage method, by mailing questionnaires to about 32,000 adult men and women nationwide. JT collected 19,630 (61.2 percent) valid responses from the total population surveyed.