AGENDA of NPO TFAJ (Non Profit Organization Tobacco-Free Advocacy Japan)  Chairperson Jun SONO M.D.
World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that tobacco use is the cause of premature deaths of six (6) million people in the world every year and the number will escalate to one (1) billion within this century, if no direct action is taken for the prevention of these deaths. According to the health statics of Japan, 130 to 200 thousand smokers die of tobacco related diseases, and 6,800 to several ten thousand non-smokers die of second-hand smoking. Tobacco products are the single legal weapon to kill most numerous people in the world. The health damage not only on the smokers, but also on nonsmokers around smokers are serious, and the destruction and contamination of the environment are grave. Tobacco is deeply related to almost all disease, premature death, violence, abuse, poverty and unhappiness. When we look squarely at these realities, the only radical solution is but to eradicate tobacco and realize tobacco-free society. On 2005, FCTC Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of WHO became effective, and its ratification by more than 170 countries means the availability of the framework of international cooperation to fight against the global tobacco industry. In spite of the obligation as a party to enact comprehensive tobacco control law by 2010 and to implement FCTC faithfully, Japan has no tobacco control laws, but rare Local ordinance, which is misleading for smoke-free environment in public places.
We regret that these misleading local ordinance might cause further delay of making smoke-free environment indoors without exception, which is recommended by WHO as the global standard. Medical approach is also necessary to treat the tobacco use, because smoking habit is an addictive disease same as drug and amphetamine abuse. Nicotine in tobacco is designated as a poisonous drug by phamatheutical law, and as a poison by the poison & dangerous material control law. Benzo(a)pyrene & nitrosamines, the component of tar are prohibited and excluded by food hygiene law as carcinogenic & harmful substances. Nevertheless, tobacco is sold as a legal goods, because tobacco business law is an evil law, protecting tobacco industry firmly by focusing on the smooth development of tobacco business and fruitful tobacco tax revenue, and sparing the people’s life and health. As a corner stone at the moment, we should struggle for the enactment of tobacco control law managed by Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare instead of tobacco business law by Ministry of Finance to protect the life and health of the people, as soon as possible. For that purpose, comprehensive policy of the government, including subsidiaries for tobacco farmers to encourage the change their business, is absolutely necessary. The most effective way for financial resources of that policy should be the continuous increase of tobacco tax. 
Finally, human being should aim at the realization of tobacco-free society within this century, because tobacco is a single and biggest cause of addiction, disease, premature death, violence, abuse, poverty, and unhappiness. In Japan, “Tobacco Prohibition Law” should be enacted to ban tobacco like drugs, and to make Japan completely tobacco-free country. After the enactment to realize tobacco-free world, illegal manufacturing and smuggling problems should be tackled with the international cooperation compliant with FCTC. As far as we know, there is no association aiming at completely tobacco-free society in Japan, although there are some, but for tobacco control only. Taking these circumstances into consideration, we determined to establish TFAJ, Tobacco-Free Advocacy Japan, as a NPO Nonprofit organization. The pursuit for
profit, per se, should not be the purpose, even under the name of smoking cessation treatment. The privatization of the association from personal ambition for fame should not be permitted. Therefore, the financial resources of our activity are annual fee and donation from members and the profit from our activities. We definitely refuse the donation as a Corporate Social Responsibility CSR activity from not only tobacco industry, but also gamble industry. From now on, we strive for making tobacco-free world, one of the biggest theme of this century with the cooperation and alliance with other no smoking associations, not only domestically, but also internationally, inspecting the efficacy of the measures by the accumulation of wisdom. To reach at this goal, it is necessary to have members from all fields, because only those from medical field are far from satisfaction. To have more members and to reinforce the basis of this association and to guarantee the transparency and to clarify the policy of the organization, TFAJ obtain the license of NPO and act enthusiastically. Now we address all the tobacco-free advocates with high spirit to join us and to fight against tobacco together.

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TOBACCO-FREE ADVOCACY JAPAN (TFAJ) was formed as a financially independent non-profit organization (NPO) that has the following objectives to:

• Seek the implementation and enacted into law of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) (adopted in 2005) by 2020

• Develop the political network with all stakeholders

• Foster the “DE normalization of tobacco consistent with the FCTC

• Promote a tobacco-free society in Japan

• Engage in educational activities on multiple levels to enable the population to understand the adverse effects of tobacco use and seek cessation for the addiction

• Engage in cessation “Best Practices” for those addicted

• Reduce the over toll of tobacco related deaths in Japan

• Realize a tobacco-free Japan by the end of this century
  
  The membership of TFAJ is composed of a multidisciplinary
  
  Operating revenues for TFAJ are derived from its membership, charitable donations and any profit from our activities. There is a strict adherence to the philosophical principles of Article 5.3 of the FCTC.
  
  The efforts of TFAJ are augmented with cooperation and alliances with other tobacco control organizations and entities outside of Japan. Consequently, TFAJ derives benefit from the emerging knowledge base that realizes effective tobacco “DE-normalization in other parts of the world.
  
  Japan ratified the FCTC in 2005 but has not yet to enact any comprehensive tobacco control laws. This is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (Kōsei-rōdō-shō). There is a tension between the Ministry of Finance (Zaimu-shō) that supports the tobacco industry and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
  
  Albeit, in spite of the lack of the responsible ministerial support, there are discrete geographic areas that have a range of a smoke-free environments through the efforts of a group physicians and activists.
  
  There are over six (6) million premature deaths due to tobacco use and it is estimated that by the end of this century this number could escalate to one (1) billion according to World Health Organization. This needless loss of life requires the “DE normalization” of tobacco from its direct use to the effects of involuntary exposure.
  
  According to the health statistics of Japan there are more than one hundred thirty thousand deaths (130,000) directly attributable to smoking and another six thousand eight hundred to involuntary smoke.

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