The amended law on promoting public health, which tightened rules on passive smoking, partially took effect at the beginning of July, making it mandatory that smoking will be banned "in principle" at public facilities accessed by vulnerable people such as minors, those who are ill and pregnant women. As a result, indoor smoking has been totally banned in such facilities as school buildings, hospitals and government offices. However, partitioned outdoor smoking areas continue to be allowed as an "exception."
The implemented measures are a first big step in the effort to stamp out passive smoking, in that penalties will be imposed on malicious offenders, but much more can and should be done. While most hospitals and operators of schools from elementary to high school have made their premises smoke-free, many government institutions and universities still have designated outdoor smoking areas.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, in charge of tightening rules on smoking, has told other government bodies they are "not advised" to keep their outdoor smoking corners. But according to reports, only two ministries and 10 prefectural governments have so far complied, with the rest either keeping or opening outdoor smoking areas. Universities that have instituted a total campus ban on smoking remain a minority, with most others continuing to let people light up in outdoor spaces.