Say No to Tobacco: Choose Health, Life, and Fresh Air
On May 31st every year, World No Tobacco Day serves as a major worldwide health campaign started by the World Health Organization (WHO).
No Tobacco: Protect Health, Environment, and Future Generations
On May 31st every year, World No Tobacco Day serves as a major worldwide health campaign started by the World Health Organization (WHO). Its main goal is to spread the word about how dangerous tobacco is and to urge governments to pass rules that cut tobacco use worldwide.
The tradition of World No Tobacco Day began in 1987 because WHO’s Member States were aware of the growing global threat from tobacco. A resolution was passed, recommending a “world no-smoking day” for April 7, 1988 which was also the 40th anniversary of WHO. As a result of its achievement, in 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 passed and chose May 31st as the official mark for World No Tobacco Day each year.
Tobacco has a major and extensive impact on health. Each year, millions of people die prematurely because tobacco is the primary preventable cause of disease. Smoking releases over 7,000 chemicals, out of which more than 250 are harmful and over 69 also are cancer-causing. Smoking is connected to a wide variety of severe health issues, including:
Lung, mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas and many other cancers exist.
* Lung Diseases: COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and flare-ups of asthma.
Cardiovascular Diseases include heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and diseases in the peripheral arteries.
* Diabetes: Higher chance of getting Type 2 diabetes and more complications from it.
* Other Conditions: A weak immune system, increased chances of infections, unhealthy reproductive systems and many eye problems.
Tobacco causes many problems for society and the environment, over and above its effects on individuals. Many work hours and resources are consumed by tobacco-related diseases which also reduce the number of working years. Equally concerning is the harm caused by taking down forests to grow tobacco and the pollution released by the waste and chemicals in the making process.
World No Tobacco Day promotes a yearly theme that draws global attention to a global priority in tobacco control.
For example, the theme for World No Tobacco Day 2024 was Protecting children from tobacco industry interference, which raised awareness of the tobacco industry’s deceptive ways of marketing and advertising products that target children, and advocated for laws and regulations that protect kids from these harmful products, including requesting stronger bans on advertising (that include tobacco corporate responsibility) cigarette advertising on social media and streaming platforms etc.
Read More : 5 Everyday Habits Which can Prevent Heart Disease
Global tobacco control initiatives are fundamental to addressing the tobacco epidemic. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is a historic treaty that provides a framework for countries around the world to implement community-wide tobacco control policies that reduce initiation and reduce morbidity and mortality from smoking. Community tobacco control initiatives could take the form of tobacco product taxation, smokefree public spaces enforcement, bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products, smoking cessation support, and education of the dangers of tobacco use through graphic warning labels.
World No Tobacco Day serves as a reminder that collective action is important to create a tobacco-free world and encourages governments, public health organizations, civil society, and individuals to join together to fight against tobacco for this generation and generations to come.
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