More on smoking manners

http://whatjapanthinks.com/2006/09/09/smoking-in-japan/

It is a survey done in Japan about smoking. There were questions about how they feel about smoking and whether they acquire any smoking manners.

Do you feel other people smoking is annoying? (Sample size=non smokers)
Always feel so 54.8%
Sometimes feel so 37.7%
Don’t really feel so 6.6%
Never feel so 1.0%

At your place of work, what sort of tobacco-related things make you feel unpleasant? (Sample size=821, multiple answer)
Smell of smokers 32.0%
Smoke and smell, etc, leaking into the workplace from the smoking room 29.8%
Smoking room has not been set up 18.2%
Workplace is not non-smoking 11.9%
Regardless of the workplace being non-smoking, colleagues light up after hours, etc 10.5%
Other 3.5%
Don’t feel any particular unpleasantness 35.8%

What smoking manners or points of etiquette do you follow? (Sample size=2,395, current smokers, multiple answer)
Don’t throw away cigarette ends 72.9%
Don’t smoke whilst walking 59.4%
Don’t smoke outside designated areas 49.4%
Carry a portable ashtray 47.5%
Ask non-smokers if it’s OK before lighting up 46.0%
Don’t smoke near non-smokers 28.6%
Other 2.8%
Don’t know 4.9%

What were the reasons behind you starting your smoking manners or etiquette? (Sample size=2,278, smokers with manners, multiple answer)
Saw other smokers’ bad manners 38.3%
Non-smoking areas increased 33.1%
Felt people glaring at me 18.8%
Print or television advertisements 13.2%
Friends or family alerted me 7.9%
Television, other than advertisement 7.4%
Followed advice from the Health Promotion Law 5.9%
Newspaper or magazine, other than advertisement 4.8%
After causing trouble with my smoking 3.8%
Other 11.2%
Don’t know 2.5%
Nothing in particular 26.0%



Obviously, most non-smokers think other people smoking is annoying. To be a responsible smoker, they should consider their smoking etiquette and try to avoid affecting others. The result also showed that advertisements have moderate effect to the smokers about concern for smoking manners.



I think in UK or any other placaes, there is a need to raise the concern for smoking etiquette. Although there are laws to prohibit smoking in some places, but smokers should still pay attention to their smoking manners. There were very few ads in the UK to educate correct smoking behaviour. Therefore, I would like to produce some persuasive signs about how to be a responsible smokers.