Japan Tobacco will enlist customers in a campaign to stop the government from increasing cigarette taxes.

Consumers opposed to the proposed increase of retail cigarette prices by as much as threefold, should sign the petition at tobacco retailers, by mobile phone or on the Internet, the Tokyo-based company said today.
The campaign comes as the maker of Camel and Mild Seven cigarettes battles higher tobacco prices, a falling smoking rate and controls on vending machine purchases which account for more than half its domestic tobacco sales of USD 31.4 billion (EUR 23.1 billion). In June lawmakers proposed raising cigarette taxes to fund increasing welfare costs.
Japan Tobacco, which is 50-per-cent owned by the ogernment, said it will submit its petition to the government after the campaign is over in December, in time for the government's internal discussions on proposed taxes. (pi)