Hundreds of thousands of sports enthusiasts and rugby fanatics around the globe are definitely looking forward to the much anticipated 2019 Rugby World Cup which will be held in Japan this coming September. For the information of the public, the organizers of the said multi national sports event announced that the spectators during the rugby games will be allowed to smoke in assigned areas both inside and outside the stadiums.
Contrary to the policy of the Organizing Committee of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games which previously declared that their venues will be totally smoke-free, the organizers of the Rugby World Cup decided to earmark smoking areas within the twelve rugby game sites all over Japan, in which both spectators and participants may be permitted to smoke.
For instance, the Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture has installed a 220 square meter smoking area in preparation for the upcoming Rugby World Cup. The area is creatively designed with a theme similar to a rugby field that has goal posts and ashtray stands.
According to an official of Osaka prefecture, “We set up the spaces to prevent nonsmokers from inhaling secondhand smoke. Smoking areas are needed because we don’t want people creating litter with cigarette butts.”
On the other hand, various critics questioned the Rugby games organizers decision as it is in contrast with the anti-smoking trend worldwide.
In response to this issue, the Rugby World Cup organizing committee emphasized that indoor smoking at the twelve designated venues shall be banned. But smoking is allowed if done inside special rooms specifically within the stadium buildings for smokers.
An official of the rugby games organizing committe said that “It is our role to provide a comfortable viewing environment for the audience coming from around the world. We’d like to prepare measures for separating smoking and nonsmoking areas while giving consideration to nonsmokers.”
Reference: Rugby World Cup in Japan not expected to be smoke-free
