Smokers Face Tighter Rules in Tokyo for Olympics

Japan must make public places in Tokyo smoke-free by the time it hosts the 2020 Summer Olympics or risk falling afoul of International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules that call for a healthy games, activists said on Tuesday. Japan’s health minister said the government is eager to stamp out smoking in public by the time the capital hosts the Olympics. But smoking remains so entrenched there is still a cigarette vending machine in a Health Ministry annex, Reuters reported.

The IOC requires “tobacco-free” games and all recent host cities have passed legislation to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces, including restaurants and cafes. Health Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki told a news conference his ministry aimed to submit a bill on preventing passive smoking during the current session of parliament.

But tightening up the rules faces strong opposition from restaurant management organizations, which fear the impact on their business.