For anyone who is finding it difficult to quit smoking in a country which has been known as the smoking paradise, there is still hope. Aside from the smoking ban which has been recently adopted in Japan, there are a few ways to seek help, get nicotine substitutes, and be motivated to completely quit smoking. Let's take a look.

Quitting is Possible

At first glance, it might seem challenging for smokers to quit this habit, especially for Japanese men who, for centuries, have regarded smoking as synonymous with manhood and hard work. This cultural trivia is supported by a report from the World Health Organization, which stated that Japanese men are three times more likely to smoke than Japanese women.

It is quite refreshing to know that recently, the smoking rate for Japanese men went down significantly to below 20%. This is a massive improvement compared to the 1966 rate of 83.7%, which was an all-time high in the country.

Why You Need to Quit

According to the Japan Health Economics Association, around $90 billion are spent every year on cigarette-related health costs and damages, and it is estimated that 130,000 people die because of smoking-related diseases. In addition, the World Health Organization estimates that 15,000 people die every year due to second-hand smoke-related conditions. These are mostly women and children.

Remote Outpatient Treatment

Smokers who are struggling to quit may soon be able to access remote outpatient treatment once the policy proposed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is approved. This remote treatment would allow smokers to consult with doctors through their personal computers or smartphones so they may get the help they need to quit smoking.

Get Your Fix Without the Smoke

It is also possible to get your nicotine fix without smoking at all, thanks to snus – a moist tobacco-based product that originated in Sweden. This smoking alternative enables users to absorb free nicotine by just placing a pinch of the moist tobacco under the top lip on top of the teeth. Smokers who plan on quitting their habit can buy snus in the UK online and have it delivered practically anywhere in the world without shipping costs. 

Based on recent data, Sweden’s national smoking rate is at 5%, a number far lower than most countries in Europe. It is estimated that 19% of Swedish men and 4% of Swedish women use snus on a daily basis. In 2014, public health experts and professors Kenneth Warner and Harold Pollack wrote in The Atlantic that Sweden has the lowest male death rate due to lung cancer, smoking-related cardiovascular diseases, and other cancers that are attributable to tobacco.

Extra Days Off

Did you know that those quick smoking breaks that some employees take for a few minutes a day can add up to days? If one would do the math, this could mean that smoking employees may have accumulated a few days off from their work on an annual basis, which might not be fair to those who do not smoke.

An employee from marketing firm Piala Inc. made this observation known to their management and, as a positive response, the company’s CEO, Takao Asuka, decided to give non-smoking employees an additional six days off per year to compensate. While this is not a common practice in Japan’s private sector, it is not impossible for other companies to follow suit. Surely something to motivate smokers to finally quit the habit.

Quitting cigarette smoking is not impossible. And, thanks to these options, one can easily get motivated to finally quit smoking for good.