TOKYO -- Only four of Tokyo's 23 wards ban street smoking of both traditional cigarettes and heated tobacco products and impose fines for violations, the Mainichi Shimbun has found.

Heated tobacco products, which electrically heat tobacco leaves and produce nicotine vapor without combustion, have been available in Japan for over a decade. They now account for 40% of all smokers, prompting experts to call for regulations similar to those for conventional cigarettes.

Japan Tobacco Inc. introduced the country's first heated tobacco product, "Ploom," in 2013, followed by Philip Morris Japan G.K.'s "Iqos" and British American Tobacco Japan's "Glo." These products produce no smoke and less odor than traditional cigarettes, contributing to their popularity. According to the Tobacco Institute of Japan, heated tobacco products made up 40% of all domestic tobacco sales in fiscal 2023.

All 23 wards in Tokyo have ordinances restricting street smoking in designated areas or across the ward. Adachi Ward recently included heated tobacco products in its regulations, prompting the Mainichi Shimbun to survey other wards' policies.

Shinagawa Ward has restrictions in place for both traditional cigarettes and heated products and fines violators 1,000 yen (about $6.40), while Shibuya Ward imposes a 2,000-yen fine. Chiyoda Ward added heated tobacco to its 2,000-yen fine list starting November 2024. The ward had previously excluded such products from penalties due to difficulty distinguishing them from electronic cigarettes, which vaporize non-nicotine substances. Complaints about passive smoking from heated tobacco products led to the change.

Raising awareness

Adachi, Shinagawa, Shibuya and Chiyoda are the only wards fining violators for heated tobacco use. Suginami Ward stopped collecting fines in 2014, citing cost concerns and a shift to awareness campaigns.

Sumida, Ota, Nakano, Kita, Itabashi, Nerima and Katsushika have ordinances allowing fines of up to 20,000 yen but lack designated enforcement areas or timelines, rendering the rules ineffective. A Kita Ward official cited fairness concerns and staff shortages as barriers to enforcement.

Eleven wards, including Chuo, Shinjuku and Edogawa, do not impose fines. Chuo Ward officials noted that many street-smoking incidents occur on private roads or parking lots, complicating enforcement. Edogawa Ward emphasized awareness campaigns over penalties.

Definition of tobacco as 'lit products'?

Four wards -- Shinjuku, Setagaya, Toshima and Nerima -- exclude heated tobacco products, focusing instead on the risks of lit cigarettes. Shinjuku and Toshima are considering future regulations for heated tobacco.

Professor Hiroshi Yamato of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, warned that passive smoking from heated tobacco products can harm individuals with allergies, asthma or odor sensitivity. He advocated for fines to regulate their use outside designated smoking areas.

(Japanese original by Ayane Matsuyama, Digital News Group)