By Naonobu Nishimoto

Passive smoking is where people around smokers are forced to breathe their secondhand smoke. On June, 1 2003, new and strict rules for smokers were enacted in SU in order to prevent passive smoking for non-smokers in accordance with the establishment of the Health Promotion Law. One of the first areas that executed the ban on smoking was in the library after an announcement on May 1. The library had its own separate smoking area before. As for health, this law is very important. Many no smoking signs began to appear in the corridors and the number of ashtrays decreased.

Furthermore, the increase in the number of no smoking signs shows the university's enthusiasm for this campaign is very active. However, it would be a more effective campaign if the Student Government Executive Committee had cooperated with the University.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi promulgated The Health Promotion Law, which aims at making people healthier and preventing passive smoking. The passive smoking prevention is stated in detail in Article 24 of the new law. It states, ”the manager or the owner of a school, gym, hospital, theater, inspection place, department, office, public office, restaurant and other places, in order to prevent passive smoking for non-smokers, must take some preventive measures.”

The reason is that secondhand smoke is more poisonous than the smoke inhaled directly from a cigarette. Changing the smoking environment is important to protect from secondhand smoke damage not only on campus, but also in the general public.

There is no data on how many SU students are addicted to smoking, which is habit-forming, but many students of both sexes smoke. But what about smoking manners? This campaign does not aim to reduce the number of smokers, but tries to give a more comfortable feeling for non-smokers and to limit the extent of passive smoking damage.

The non-smoking campaign in the library has been going well since the campaign began on June 1. But the no smoking rule in the corridor is not always enforced. It is hoped that people understand the purpose of the Health Promotion Law and that everyone will be healthier than ever.