Japan remains one of the world's largest heated tobacco markets, with HTP users accounting for about 40% of all tobacco users. Photo credit: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC4.0.
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided not to tighten regulations on heated tobacco products (HTP) as part of its five-year review of the country's secondhand smoke rules, concluding that current scientific evidence does not support treating HTP the same as combustible cigarettes.
An expert panel advising the ministry endorsed the proposal on July 9 and expects to finalize its recommendations later this summer. The ministry said it will continue monitoring scientific research and revisit the issue in roughly three years as more evidence becomes available.
Japan's revised Health Promotion Act, which took full effect in April 2020, generally prohibits smoking inside restaurants, hotels, and other public facilities. Cigarette smokers may use designated smoking rooms, but they cannot eat or drink inside them.
The law created a separate framework for HTP, however. Consumers may use HTP in designated rooms where eating and drinking remain permitted because lawmakers concluded during the original legislative process that evidence on the health effects of secondhand exposure remained inconclusive.
During the review, the health ministry acknowledged that emissions from HTP contain harmful substances, including carcinogens. At the same time, it concluded that available research does not provide sufficient evidence to determine the health impact of secondhand exposure.
The ministry therefore chose not to eliminate the current distinction between cigarettes and HTP. Instead, it stated that it "will continue to conduct research."
The review also includes one regulatory change unrelated to the treatment of HTP. The ministry plans to introduce a notification system requiring operators of bars and other smoking-oriented establishments to notify local governments if they qualify for exemptions under the Health Promotion Act. Officials said the measure aims to improve oversight of designated smoking facilities.
The decision came as a cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers urged health minister Kenichiro Ueno to strengthen restrictions on HTP and align them more closely with those governing combustible cigarettes.
Japan remains one of the world's largest markets for HTP, and the category continues to play a significant role in the country's tobacco market. According to the health ministry, heated tobacco users now account for about 40% of all tobacco users in Japan.