Japan
Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) (TSE: 2914) today announced the results of its Japan smoking rate survey, a study that has been carried out annually since 1965. The survey, conducted in May 2016, showed that 19.3% of Japanese adults are smokers.
The survey was conducted in May 2016 using a stratified two-stage sampling method, by mailing questionnaires to approximately 32,000 adult men and women nationwide except for the areas affected by the Kumamoto earthquake. JT collected 19,650 (61.2%) valid responses from the total population surveyed.
The average number of cigarettes smoked per day turned out to be 18.5 for men and 14.7 for women.
The company is of the view that the smoking rate in Japan has been on a declining trend. The decrease is due to various factors, including the aging of society, growing awareness about the health risks associated with smoking, tightening of smoking-related regulations and the tax and price hike.
The 2016 figures were calculated based on the adult population provided by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as of April 1, 2016, which were 50.45 million men and 54.45 million women, respectively. The 2015 figures were based on the population as of April 1, 2015, which were 50.38 million men and 54.37 million women
JT announced it will continue its efforts to realize a society in which smokers and non-smokers can co-exist in harmony.