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Review Series - Rationale and Practical Method for Lifestyle Modification

Health advocacy for reducing smoking rates in Hamamatsu, Japan

Hypertension Research volume 43, pages 634–647 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Efforts to reduce smoking at the Olympics that will be hosted in Tokyo in 2020 are spreading across the country, but they are not enough. In general, it is said that (1) smoke prevention education for minors, (2) smoking cessation support for smokers, and (3) smoking restriction in the social environment are necessary to reduce the smoking rate. Healthy Japan 21 called for achieving a numerical target for the reduction of youth smoking by 2010. The author is a principal school doctor at Hamamatsu Municipal Yuto Elementary School and has been teaching antismoking classes to elementary school students since 1999. In this area (Yuto District, Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan), there is the Oki-jinja Shrine, which was built in 705, and a large event (Oki-jinja grand festival) is held there each autumn, attracting 2500 people. Since many people gather there, it is worthwhile to provide information about passive smoking prevention on shrine grounds. Since 1999, smoking prevention classes have been held at elementary schools, and in 2008, smoking was prohibited in the grounds of the Oki-jinja Shrine, making the festival there totally nonsmoking within the shrine grounds, among additional measures taken against smoking. In addition, measures against smoking at large events in Shizuoka Prefecture and Hamamatsu City have also been effective, and the smoking rate among Hamamatsu citizens has dropped to 10.2% (From Health Promotion Division, Hamamatsu City, 2016), which is expected to extend their healthy life expectancy. To reduce the smoking rate, it is important not only to provide administrative support but also to engage in steady civic activities.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr Tatsuo Shimosawa (Professor of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare), a board member of the Japanese Society of Hypertension, a specified nonprofit corporation. I would like to thank all the people who gave me this opportunity as a general practitioner. In addition, I would like to express my gratitude to Ms Rumiko Yamashita, the head of the Hijirikai, for developing the “Lifetime Smokeless” program for Yuto Elementary School.

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  1. Katoh Clinic, 11-7987 Ubumi, Yuto-cho, Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan

    Kazuharu Katoh

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  1. Kazuharu Katoh
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Correspondence to Kazuharu Katoh.

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Katoh, K. Health advocacy for reducing smoking rates in Hamamatsu, Japan. Hypertens Res 43, 634–647 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-020-0418-0

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