• Aim to reduce the smoking rate to 0% in Chugai Group
• Contribute to building a better society by preventing unwanted passive smoking in addition to enhancing employee health

TOKYO, September 25, 2019 -- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519) announced a “Chugai Group Non-Smoking Declaration” resolution on September 25, 2019.

The Chugai group believes that sound employee physical and mental health and a satisfying and rewarding work environment where all employees can do their jobs with enthusiasm are the foundation for growth. The company issued the “Chugai Group Declaration on Health” in December 2017, and Motoo Ueno, Representative Director and Deputy Chairman, who is in charge of sustainability expressed that Chugai would continue to work on this initiative with a greater awareness. Specifically, the following six priority items have been established in the area of employee health and productivity management: managing cancer, managing lifestyle-related diseases, managing mental health, managing “presenteeism,” improving health literacy, and managing workplace safety.

Smoking is a known factor which leads to the three of the leading causes of death in Japan, cancer, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. In addition, the number of death from passive smoking is estimated to be over 6,000 in Japan, which makes smoking an even greater social issue. This issue cannot be ignored as it may endanger the health of smokers and non-smokers around them alike. Based on this belief, Chugai decided to strengthen smoking restrictions as a means for the control of cancer and lifestyle-related diseases, which are among the priority items in our health and productivity management. We hereby announce the “Chugai Group Non-Smoking Declaration” statement, aiming to reduce the smoking rate among employees to zero percent, and will strive to achieve the goal across the Group.

[Goals and initiatives to achieve non-smoking within Chugai group (in Japan)]
Goals:

• End of September 2020: Smoking prohibited in all workplaces
• End of 2021: Smoking prohibited during work hours
• End of 2030: Achieve a “zero percent” smoking-rate

Initiatives:

• Implement gradual smoking control programs on a clear timeline
• Develop policy to avoid recruitment of smokers (Japan offices only)
• Each workplace develops concrete actions based on individual circumstances.
• Improve health literacy related to smoking.
• Encourage employees to quit smoking with the aid of support services.

Through these programs, the Chugai group aims at further contributing to building a better society by improving employee health and working to prevent unwanted passive smoking.

[References]
1) Chugai Group Declaration on Health (Motoo Ueno, Representative Director and Deputy Chairman, December 1, 2017)
As a healthcare company, the Chugai Group recognizes the importance of employee health, and has worked to maintain and promote health. The Chugai Group, as a top pharmaceutical company, will further improve productivity, pursue innovation and aim to enhance corporate value from the viewpoints of “economic performance,” “social awareness” and “human development.” We believe that it is essential to realize an active and sound organizational culture where employees, who are the main driving force, can work positively in good physical and mental health. We hereby declare that we will work to maintain and promote employees’ “individual health” as well as “organizational health” in the Chugai Group to realize health and productivity management.

2) Chugai Group's medium- to long-term goals for health and productivity management

• Cancer prevention and treatment support: Increase cancer screening participation rates (lung, stomach, colon, breast, and cervical cancer) to 90% or higher
• Lifestyle disease prevention: Reduce the rate of high-risk individuals to 2% in 2020
• Health literacy: 90% or higher awareness of company programs
• Workplace safety: EHS risk assessments conducted at each site at least once every three years

3) Continued Recognition as “White 500 (large enterprise category) Health and Productivity Management Organization”
The Chugai Group has been recognized as a “White 500 (large enterprise category) Health and Productivity Management Organization” for the second consecutive year(2018 – 2019). The company is recognized for its efforts addressing employees' health. Under the White 500 Certified Health and Productivity Management Organization program, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), in collaboration with the Nippon Kenko Kaigi, grants certification to large enterprises which demonstrate outstanding efforts to practice health and productivity management.
For further information, please refer to the METI website (Japanese only):
https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/mono_info_service/healthcare/kenkoukeiei_yuryouhouzin.html

4) The term “health and productivity management” is a registered trademark of the Workshop for the Management of Health on Company and Employee.