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When You Are Engulfed in Flames: David Sedaris 

This title will be released on June 3, 2008. . . .

Culminating in a brilliant account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection is a new masterpiece of comic writing from "a writer worth treasuring" (Seattle Times).

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• Tooth loss strongly linked to risk of esophageal, head and neck, and lung cancer 

Studying thousands of patients, Japanese researchers have found a strong link between tooth loss and increased risk of three cancers - esophageal, head and neck, and lung. They suggest that preservation of teeth may decrease risk of developing these diseases.

In the May issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, scientists from Aichi Cancer Center in Nagoya and Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine speculate that bacterial infection and inflammation resulting from poor oral care that leads to tooth loss could also be driving development of these cancers. Periodontal disease is known to increase risk for stroke and heart disease.

"Tooth loss is a common consequence of chronic bacterial infection and may, therefore, serve as a surrogate for chronic infection and inflammation, which in turn may be important to the pathogenesis of cancer," said the study's lead author, Akio Hiraki, Ph.D., a researcher at the Aichi Cancer Center.

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Japanese Cigarette Machines Can Detect Age Of Buyers  

The problem is that the device only achieves a 90% hit rate, meaning that "minors that look older, and baby-faced adults" could fool the machine. These unfortunates will be asked to insert their driving licenses.

The potential for insult here is high, although I know a few people who would be so happy to be thought younger than they are that the temporary lack of fags* would be trivial. We suggest that to be fully effective, though, the machine should detect sallow skin, sunken cheeks and yellowing teeth.

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Biometric machines thwart kid smokers  

JAPANESE SCHOOL KIDS could soon be wishing they could swap their baby faces for a few wrinkles or liver spots, because a company has just come up with a new biometric vending machine to prevent minors from buying cigarettes. . . .

Last month we reported that Japan’s 'Tobacco Institute' had decided that, by July 2008, all Japanese smokers would have to carry a Taspo (tobacco passport), to prove their age. The cards would work in much the same way as a debit card, being able to offer proof of age and pay for the cigarettes at the same time.

But, says Hajime Yamamoto, spokesman for Fujitaka, with new biometric machines "the problem of minors borrowing (identification) cards to purchase cigarettes could be avoided". He also reckoned that the machine got the age right about 90 per cent of the time, which is relatively high. If the machine was unsure, the customer would be asked to insert a driving license for additional proof.

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Japan's teenage smokers face wrinkle test  

Teenage smokers in Japan could soon be taking their last illicit puffs thanks to the introduction of cigarette-vending machines that can spot underage customers just by looking at them.

The machines are equipped with a digital camera that can compare users' facial characteristics with a database of more than 100,000 people.

Their ability to spot sagging skin, wrinkles around the eyes and other signs of maturity means underage smokers - in Japan anyone under 20 - will have to look elsewhere for their nicotine fix.

Though the machines have yet to be approved amid doubts about their accuracy, their maker, Fujitaka, believes they will be indispensable to attempts to cut smoking rates among teenagers.

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A new wrinkle in smoking enforcement  

Cigarette vending machines in Japan may soon start counting wrinkles, crow's feet and skin sags to see if the customer is old enough to smoke.

The legal age for smoking in Japan is 20 and as the country's 570,000 tobacco vending machines prepare for a July regulation requiring them to ensure buyers are not underage, a company has developed a system to identify age by studying facial features.

By having the customer look into a digital camera attached to the machine, Fujitaka Co's system will compare facial characteristics, such as wrinkles surrounding the eyes, bone structure and skin sags, to the facial data of over 100,000 people, Hajime Yamamoto, a company spokesman said.

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• Japanese smokers to face age test 

A Japanese company is developing a vending machine that counts wrinkles and skin sags to check a smoker's age.

It plans to use face recognition technology to prevent anyone under the legal age of 20 buying cigarettes.

From July vending machine companies could be prosecuted if tobacco is sold to anyone under the legal limit.

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UPDATE 3-Japan Tobacco says cigarette price hike an option 

Japan Tobacco Inc, the world's No. 3 tobacco maker, said it may raise the price of domestic cigarettes -- its first non-tax linked hike in 15 years -- to help offset nine straight years of a shrinking market.

The increase would come on top of rises in everything from gasoline to beer and noodles that have already burdened consumers in the world's second-largest economy.

Japan Tobacco, which is half-owned by the Japanese government, has seen costs rise even as it grapples with an ageing population and widening health consciousness that have reduced the ranks of smokers.

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Japan Tobacco Gains After Report It May Raise Prices (Update1) 

Japan Tobacco Inc., the world's third- largest publicly traded cigarette maker, rose the most in two weeks in Tokyo trading after the Nikkei newspaper reported it may raise prices.

The company is considering higher prices because the cost of leaf tobacco and packaging has increased as much as 30 percent, the newspaper said, citing an interview with President Hiroshi Kimura. Japan Tobacco climbed 3.8 percent to 493,000 yen at the 3 p.m. close on Tokyo's stock exchange, its biggest gain since April 25.

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Japan Tobacco Declines on Domestic Cigarette Sales (Update1) 

Japan Tobacco Inc., the world's third- largest publicly traded cigarette maker, dropped the most in 10 weeks in Tokyo trading after earnings slumped at its domestic tobacco unit.

Operating income from Japan cigarette sales slid 9.4 percent to 222 billion yen ($2.12 billion) in the 12 months through March, the company said yesterday. Japan Tobacco dropped 4.1 percent to 490,000 yen at 3 p.m. on Tokyo's stock exchange, its biggest one-day decline since Feb. 20. . . .

``It looks as though earnings at the domestic cigarette business will deteriorate unless the company takes such measures as reducing the number of Japanese cigarette plants and revising cigarette pricing,'

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Taxi drivers fight for right to keep smoking in cab 

Two Tokyo-based taxi associations comprising owner-drivers have stopped forwarding dispatch calls from customers to 83 of their member drivers, claiming that the cabbies have failed to observe the associations' policy to ban smoking in member vehicles and raise fares.

"That constitutes interference with my business," said one of the owner-drivers in an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun. The driver will face a marked cut in income due to the sanctions imposed by his association.

The Fair Trade Commission warned taxi associations this month that such sanctions could be deemed unfair. But one of the associations says it plans to persevere with the policy.

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Pfizer To Introduce The First Oral Smoking Cessation Aid In Japan 

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) announced the introduction of Champix, the first prescription oral smoking cessation aid for smokers in Japan with nicotine dependence on May 8, 2008.

Pfizer said that its Champix Tablet 0.5mg/1mg, or varenicline tartrate, inhibits a sense of satisfaction associated with smoking and relieves tobacco craving.

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• Driver's licenses OK'd for ID use at tobacco machines 

Driver's licenses will be allowed for age verification at cigarette vending machines, in addition to the new Taspo IC cards, as the number of people who have acquired the new ID cards is low, according to sources.

Only 8 percent of the nation's 26 million smokers have applied for the Taspo cards. But if the use of two identification cards is allowed, it would allow people to more easily use the vending machines.

The Finance Ministry has ordered that all cigarette vending machines be installed with the age-verification devices from July to prevent minors from buying cigarettes.

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Briefly: Smoking ban eyed across Kanagawa 

Kanagawa Prefecture has drafted a plan to enact an ordinance by next March to ban smoking at restaurants, pachinko parlors and all other public places.

The ban will also cover train stations, schools, hospitals, theaters and mah-jongg parlors.

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Japan may get regional smoking ban: official 

Japan, long seen as a smokers' haven, could soon have a ban on lighting up in bars, restaurants and other public places in the country's second largest prefecture, an official said Wednesday.

The proposed ban in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo would also apply to amusement venues, schools, hospitals and department stores in the region, home to Japan's second-largest city, Yokohama.

The prohibition would be the first of its kind in Japan, which is slowly becoming less tolerant of smoking in public. Offenders may be fined.

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