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Article: Anything you can do, I can do better: smoking in Japan.
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- November 4, 1995
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Over the past few decades the Japanese have adopted many western ways of life. Now they are adopting a western way of death. TAKESHI HIRAYAMA was cremated this week, having survived to 72. He was still young by the standards of the Japanese, who live longer than the people of any other country. And as head of the epidemiology division of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Dr Hirayama had devoted his time to extending that lead. Sadly, it looks as though his efforts have failed. The indications are that the country's advantage may even start shrinking. The reason is tobacco.
Dr Hirayama was one of Japan's most vociferous opponents of smoking, bringing a convert's ...