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Osaka bans smoking on all of its streets, vaping included
Japan’s third-largest city expands smoking ban ahead of world’s fair.
It’s now illegal everywhere within the city, though, and the new ordinance also closes the loophole that e-cigarettes and vape pens previously slipped through, as they, like conventional cigarettes, are now barred from use on streets except in officially designated smoking areas. As the ban goes into effect, civil servants will be making patrols to spot violators, and smoking on the street is punishable by a fine of 1,000 yen (US$6.40) per offense. Though not necessarily tied to the event, current development plans include the installation of 17 new public smoking areas, bringing the city’s total to 330, by the expo’s opening date of April 13.
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