The Japanese male smoking rate fell to below 30 per cent for the first time last year, reported The Japan Times.

The male smoking rate in Japan dropped to 28.8 per cent, a decrease of 2.3 per cent compared to the previous study, which was conducted in 2016. The female smoking rate also fell by 0.7 per cent, to 8.8.
According to the report, the national livelihood survey is conducted every three years by the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry. The survey also found that smokers in their 20’s saw the biggest decrease in smoking rates, with the percentage of men dropping to 27 per cent, a decrease of 4.1 per cent compared to 2016. The percentage of women in their 20’s smoking fell by 1.9 per cent to 8.3 per cent.
The report also found that the age bracket with the highest percentage of smokers was those in their 40’s, with 37.6 per cent of men and 13.4 per cent of women smoking. The male smoking rate has, however, been declining since it reached a peak of 48.4 per cent in 2001. This decrease could be attributable to growing public awareness surrounding the dangers of smoking in conjunction with a ban on smoking indoors, e.g. restaurants, offices and hotel lobbies, coming into force in April. The survey counted smokers as those who answered that they smoke either “everyday” or “sometimes”.