Japan Tobacco, Inc, annual survey finds 24.9% adults smoke..

August 14, 2009 - Tokyo, August 14, 2009--- Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT, International) (TSE: 2914) today announced the results of its Japan Smoking Rate Survey, a study that has been carried out annually since 1965. The survey, conducted in May 2009, showed that 24.9 percent of Japanese adults are smokers. The company believes that total smoking rate in Japan has been slightly decreasing, as in past years. The reason for the decrease may be affected by various factors, including an aging society, increasing health consciousness, more stringent smoking regulations, and the introduction of cigarette vending machines with age verification functions.

The survey found that 24.9 per cent of adults were smokers, down from 25.7 per cent a year earlier. The percentage of male smokers dropped from 39.5 to 38.9, while the percentage of female smokers dropped from 12.9 to 11.9.

Click here to view the results of the survey..

The survey was conducted in May 2009 using a stratified two-stage sampling method, mailed to 32,000 adult men and women nationwide. JT collected 20,807 (65.0 percent) valid responses from the total population surveyed.

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