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KAO: About time JR East banned smoking on platforms 

On April 1, nearly six years after private rail companies in the Tokyo area did so, the formerly government-owned JR East will ban smoking at all times from all platforms, removing all smoking areas. . . .

Why has JR East, the world's largest passenger railway company with nearly 17 million riders a day, been allowed to wait until now to follow the private lines' lead?

The easy answer is the weakness of the 2002 Health Promotion Law, which carried “no punishment for non-compliance,” according to Japan Times staff writer Masami Ito in a March 24 article. . . .

When I first started living in Japan, in 2002, I was surprised that McDonald's, KFC and other American subsidiaries allowed smoking. However, Starbucks was the only store that remained true to its roots. . . .

People can choose to smoke, but it shouldn't come at the expense of someone else's health. The government should protect all in Japan, not just Japan Tobacco and the 24 percent who smoke.

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