Being half Asian, I have an appreciation for role of cigarettes in Asian countries. Smoking isn't just de rigueur throughout the Pacific rim, it is almost in our DNA. I'm still not certain why I didn't develop the habit. I share that bit of introspection to show how ridiculous the Japanese have become. They now are trying to same failed experiment the Canadians tried in the 90s to curb smoking. Raise the taxes!
The problem is erroneously thought the price of cigarettes encourages smoking. As I pointed out earlier, it is a cultural thing and has nothing to do with price. Most of your friends and relatives smoke, so the likelihood you will also smoke is high. What the Japanese are doing is simply giving the Yakuza another market share in black market cigarettes. As I've posted before, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) found 100% of the cigarette packages found in a hockey stadium were black market.
Smoking can only be stopped through people learning to give up the habit. Raising taxes is only going to create a black market and put more money into the hands of the Yakuza.
Japanese panic buy cigarettes ahead of anti-smoking tax rise - Telegraph
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