Social Activist Hemant Goswami honoured in Japan

Hemant Goswami honoured in Japan: To assist Japan in strategic management of tobacco

Chandigarh
September 23, 2013

Social activist Hemant Goswami was honoured by “Tobacco Free Japan (TFAJ),” a Japan based NPO for his strategic and out-of-the-box work on tobacco control. Hemant also gave this year's distinguished international lecture in the annual meeting of TFAJ at Tokyo.

Japan is still struggling with the menace of tobacco and is not able to create completely smoke-free public places, restaurants or hotel. Tobacco advertisements also galore. There is a serious problem with the increasing prevalence of tobacco among youngsters in Japan.

In his lecture, Hemant said, “Japan faces dual challenge due to tobacco. On one hand, Japan is already short of the population-divident as the number of young people is very less in Japan (14% are under 14) and the populations of old people is increasing. On other hand, the young people were taking to tobacco in the absence of strict laws. This will result in many deaths of these young people when they reach their productive mid-age. Most of these young people would be those who would be the most succesful in their sphere. This mortality and morbidity caused due to tobacco would put Japan in still more trouble in 20 years from now. Since Japan acceded to FCTC in 2005 so it was in any case bound to make stricter and working laws against tobacco. If mortality by Japan is condered then today more people in Japan are dying year-after-year, every year, than those who dies due to bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Hemant also shared the steps to ensure strong action against tobacco in Japan and also shared strategies to get stronger executive and legislative instruments enacted.

Hemant was also invited for a lecture at WHO, Kobe Centre, Japan to share his strategies and action points on tobacco control in Japan. Hemant Goswami would now also be working as one of its four international consultants for TFAJ, Japan to handle the tobacco problem of Japan. Hemant said, “I am sure that with the work now being initiated good results would be visible in Japan within a year from now.”

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ONE-HEMANT-HONOURED: Hemant Goswami being awarded the scroll of honour by Dr. Jun Sono and Dr. Matsuko (L to R: Hemant Goswami, Dr. Jun Sono (Chairman TFAJ) and Dr. Masahiro Kaneko – President of Tobacco Free Japan

ENDS

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