World No Tobacco Day
Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) holds World No Tobacco Day on May 31. Their goal is to spread awareness about the risks of tobacco use and how we can make the world tobacco free. Roughly 6 million people die from tobacco-related ailments every year. And that number is projected to rise to over 8 million by 2030. But this is by no means a guarantee. The Sustainable Development Agenda aims to reduce deaths from noninfectious diseases by a third. Diseases linked to tobacco are on the list, so if we hit the target, 2030 will be a year to celebrate (oh yea!)—not only for our health, but the size of our wallets. Your average smoker drops around $4,000 on cigarettes annually. Imagine all of the other cool holidays you could enjoy with that money (we have a few suggestions, just saying). So let’s use World No Tobacco Day as a launching pad to a brighter and less smokey future!
HISTORY OF WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY
World No Tobacco Day is an initiative by the World Health Organization and is observed on May 31 every year. The campaign aims to spread awareness about the dangers of tobacco and its negative impact on health, as well as the exploitation of the nicotine industry that is geared towards the youth in particular. It also aims to reduce the diseases and deaths caused by tobacco consumption. The World No Tobacco Day theme for 2021 is “Commit to Quit.”
The Member States of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 as a response to the global tobacco crisis and the diseases and deaths caused by the epidemic. The World Health Assembly passed Resolution WHA40.38 in 1987, calling for April 7 to be “World No-Smoking Day.” Next, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed in 1988, issuing May 31 as an annual observance of World No Tobacco Day.
The World Health Organization reports 8 million deaths every year due to the consumption of tobacco. Tobacco is the leading cause of respiratory disorders like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, and other lung diseases. In 2008, the WHO banned any kind of advertisement or promotion of tobacco. As the world’s most populated country, China is the leader in the cigarette industry. More than 30% of the total cigarettes in the world were produced and consumed in China in 2014.
5 HORRIFYING FACTS ABOUT SMOKING
- Tobacco is full of chemicals
There are more than 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke. - Some chemicals can cause cancer
69 of these harmful chemicals are known to cause cancer. - Smoking laws aren’t widespread
Only 20% of the world’s population is protected by smoking laws, mostly in high-income countries. - The coming generations will also be affected
Statistics predict that 5.6 million children living in the U.S. today will die of a smoking-related disease. - Smoking can literally kill you
There is enough nicotine in five cigarettes to kill an average adult if ingested whole.
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