On May 31, World No-Tobacco Day as designated by the World Health Organization, a variety of commemorative meetings are scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Shiga Prefecture and other places under the sponsorship of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. WHO's slogan is: Secondhand Smoke Kills. Let's Clear the Air.
The Japanese government translation of "kill" reads "shortens your life," but an antismoking nongovernmental organization translates the word as "kills people around you." The government version is like describing homicide as injury. This official translation apparently reflects a political desire to play down the evil effect of smoking. This has to do with the fact that the Finance Ministry is a major shareholder in Japan Tobacco.
The government's halfhearted attitude toward smoking is evident in the paltry funding provided for antismoking measures. The health ministry's fiscal 2001 budget earmarks 37.88 million yen, down 15 percent from the previous year. That is a shame. By contrast, the U.S. government sets aside a huge sum equivalent to tens of billions of yen.