Pubdate: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 Source: Japan Times (Japan) Copyright: 2000 The Japan Times Contact: Central P.O. Box 144, 352, Tokyo 100-8691 Website: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/ HEALTH MINISTRY BOWS TO BIG TOBACCO The Health and Welfare Ministry on Thursday gave up a plan to set a target of halving the number of Japanese smokers by 2010 because of opposition from the tobacco industry, ministry sources said. The decision was made by a ministry panel, which has studied recommendations on the ministry's new 10-year health promotion program, the sources said. The ministry asked the panel last August to study a plan to halve tobacco consumption and the number of adult smokers in Japan in a decade, as well as to reduce smoking among people under 20. But objections from the tobacco industry prompted the ministry to propose another plan to the panel last week, which despite calling for methods to help people cut down on or quit smoking, does not include the target of halving the number of smokers. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea