The earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeast Japan this month have left some parts of the region without cigarettes.

A spokesman for Japan Tobacco on Wednesday told Reuters that some of its distribution centers in the region had been hit by the disasters, and some brands were out of stock in some regions.
In a press release on Friday the company explained that the distribution of semi-finished products and non-tobacco-materials is negatively affected by bad transport conditions and non-tobacco-material suppliers are faced with damaged facilities and scheduled blackouts following the earthquake.

In order to ensure a stable product supply Japan Tobacco will temporarily limit the number of its supplied products to 25 key products, which are manufactured in the western half of Japan.
JT's temporary measures include the withholding of product shipments between 30 March and 10 April 2011, during which time the manufacturing in factories and the inventories of key products will be increased to resume gradually from 11 April. Shipments of the 25 key products are projected to resume in mid-May.
Also on Wednesday, the company announced relief support activities including a donation of JPY 300 million (EUR 2.6 million) to the Japanese Red Cross Society to help those affected by the earthquake.
The company also donated 480,000 bottled and canned beverages and 50,000 instant food products, along with JPY 50 million worth of winter clothes and household medicines. And it has provided hot meals at evacuation centers and donated food in the stricken areas.
Donations by the group's employees, including those working outside Japan, amount to JPY 38.83 million, an amount that is being matched by the group; so that the total is JPY 77.65 million. (pi/ ci)