Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/724263
76 tobaccoasia CLOSING NEWS 卷尾新闻 WHO SAID WHAT? 2015 2016 Change since prior year Men 15.62 14.98 -0.64 Women 5.22 5.28 +0.06 Total 20.84 20.27 -0.57 Japan Survey Says 19.3% Adults Smoke Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) (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 2016, showed that 19.3% of Japanese adults are smokers. The survey was conducted in May 2016 using a stratified two-stage sampling method, by mailing questionnaires to approximately 32,000 adult men and women nationwide except for the areas affected by the Kumamoto earthquake. JT collected 19,650 (61.2%) valid responses from the total population surveyed. The average number of cigarettes smoked per day turned out to be 18.5 for men and 14.7 for women. The company is of the view that the smoking rate in Japan has been on a declining trend. The decrease is due to various factors, including the aging of society, growing awareness about the health risks associated with smoking, tightening of smoking-related regulations and the tax and price hike. The 2016 figures were calculated based on the adult population provided by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as of April 1, 2016, which were 50.45 million men and 54.45 million women, respectively. The 2015 figures were based on the population as of April 1, 2015, which were 50.38 million men and 54.37 million women JT announced it will continue its efforts to realize a society in which smokers and non-smokers can co-exist in harmony. Netherlands New Member at ITMGroup Team ITMGroup is pleased to announce that they have added a new member to their team's portfolio. EME-Engel from Zaandam, the Netherlands, will be joining the ITMGroup to work together towards a sustainable future. With over 75 years of experience, EME-Engel has proven itself to be a reliable partner in various technical disciplines. The company is specialized in liquid-pouch- packing, but also offers a broad spectrum of solutions, from concept to final design and production. "For us it is a great opportunity to join forces with EME-Engel. It offers us the chance to work with technologies, which we can apply in the tobacco industry. It also allows us to look at how we can use our existing technologies into other industries than tobacco. This is an example of cross-over innovation on machine technology, just like we do with Tricas Industrial Design on product technology," commented Jeroen Slobbe, director of ITMGroup. Arie Bood, managing director of EME-Engel EME Engel said: "For the company this means we have more opportunities to grow, also on a global scale. Being part of the ITMGroup family now gives us the chance to discover new markets for ourselves and share our own expertise with our new colleagues. We are proud to be part of the ITMGroup and we are happy we found a partner that has the same values as we do." ITMGroup has production sites in the Netherlands, Poland, UK, Germany, Dominican Republic, and Luxembourg as well as sales and service centres around the world. The company is able to supply technology to different market segments within the tobacco industry. For more info please visit www. eme-engel.nl Philippines More Counterfeiters Fall Law enforcement agencies continued the crackdown on fake cigarettes as more traders of the contraband were arrested in separate operations in Quezon province and Zamboanga City. National Bureau of Investigation agents recently arrested Zhiyi Yang, a Chinese national who was caught selling fake Mighty and Marvels brand cigarettes, in a buy-bust operation at Ipil Public Market in Barangay Ipil, Zamboanga City. In Quezon province, policemen from the PNP Pagbilao, Quezon station arrested three traders who were also found selling fake Mighty and Marvels cigarettes. Representatives from Mighty Corp., manufacturer of Mighty and Marvels brands of cigarettes, confirmed that the suspects in Zamboanga City and Pagbilao, Quezon were selling fake "No, no. It has nothing to do with those NGOs. Tobacco is the livelihood of East Java's people. Why do they have to dictate how we handle our tobacco affairs? I don't like it. Mind your own business." - East Java Governor Soekarwo rejecting the intervention of both foreign and domestic NGOs in pushing the government to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).