Japan's health ministry has drastically relaxed its planned regulations on indoor smoking at restaurants after a plan to tolerate smoking only at small eateries and bars met with opposition from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, government sources said Thursday.

The ministry, which initially planned to ban smoking at restaurants excluding those with a floor space of up to 30 square meters, is now leaning toward allowing smoking at restaurants with a floor space of up to 150 square meters.

The measure, expected to be implemented in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, will face criticism from doctors calling for tougher smoking regulations as an estimated 15,000 people die annually in Japan from secondhand smoke.

Source: ANNnewsCH