Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) holds World No Tobacco Day on 31 May. Their goal is to spread awareness about the risks of tobacco use and how we can make the world tobacco free. About 6 million people die each year from tobacco-related ailments. And that number is expected to rise to more than 8 million by 2030. But this is by no means a guarantee. The Sustainable Development Agenda aims to reduce deaths from non-communicable diseases by a third. Diseases linked to tobacco are on the list, so if we reach the target, 2030 will be a year to celebrate (oh yes!) – not just for our health, but the size of our wallets. Your average smoker drops about $ 4,000 a year on cigarettes. Imagine all the other cool vacations you can enjoy with that money (we have some suggestions, just say). So let’s use World No Tobacco Day as a launching pad for a brighter and less smoky future!
History of World No Tobacco Day
World No Tobacco Day is an initiative of the World Health Organization and is celebrated every year on 31 May. 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 particularly targeted at youth. 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 in response to the global tobacco crisis and the diseases and deaths caused by the epidemic. The World Health Assembly adopted Resolution WHA40.38 in 1987, calling for 7 April to be “World Smoking Day”. Subsequently, Resolution WHA42.19 was adopted in 1988, which issued May 31 as an annual celebration of World No Tobacco Day.
The World Health Organization reports 8 million deaths each year due to tobacco consumption. Tobacco is the leading cause of respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis and other lung diseases. In 2008, the WHO banned any advertising or promotion of tobacco. As the world’s most populous country, China is the leader in the cigarette industry. More than 30% of the total cigarettes in the world were manufactured and consumed in China in 2014.
World No Tobacco Day Timeline
1960s
Read it and cry
Health warnings first appear on U.S. tobacco and cigarette packs.
1987
Global concern
The World Health Organization is creating World No Tobacco Day to tackle the tobacco epidemic.
1988
WHA42.19
Resolution WHA42.19 is adopted, designating May 31 as the celebration of World No Tobacco Day.
2003
Now, it’s official
The World Health Organization adopts the Tobacco Control Framework Convention, which promotes smoking cessation awareness through the use of labels.
World No Tobacco Day Frequently Asked Questionss
What is World No Tobacco Day?
Every year, the World Health Organization celebrates World No Tobacco Day on 31 May to protect young people from the dangerous habit of smoking.
When was World No Tobacco Day Declared?
In 1987, the member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day to draw worldwide attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable deaths and diseases it causes.
What is the purpose of World No Tobacco Day?
Initially, the purpose of World No Tobacco Day was to discourage people from using tobacco or nicotine products for 24 hours. The celebration has become an annual event to raise awareness about the exploitation of the tobacco industry and the harmful effects of smoking on one’s health.
How to Celebrate World No Tobacco Day
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Count the number of cigarettes you smoke
You may not be ready to quit, and who can blame you? It’s tough. But you can start laying the foundation for your exit by counting the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day. You will start to think more about your health and the amount of money you put into tobacco. When you are ready to take the plunge, there are many self-help books that will guide you through the early rocky stages. You can do it!
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Educate the youth
As they say, the best way to quit smoking is to never start. So try to encourage young people around you to avoid the habit altogether. Depending on where you live, there may be a march or some public demonstrations. Maybe you can design a cute poster to help promote them. Better yet, hold a competition to see who can create the best anti-smoking poster. Teens can be a little naughty, so you’ll want to clearly define what’s appropriate ‘before hitting you with the final revelation.
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Lobby for sticker laws
Warning labels on cigarette boxes prevent people from smoking. Petition to support these laws so that the trend continues to gain momentum. Also, regular packaging laws can also use a little more backup. These laws place restrictions on the logos and colors of tobacco products, making them more difficult to sell. Do you know how you can not judge a book by its cover? Well, people definitely rate a product according to its packaging. If etiquette looks dull, we are less likely to think about it, and it is not shallow at all. It is not as if tobacco has a good personality on the inside.
Why World No Tobacco Day is Important
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It shows us how the tobacco industry contributes to poverty
About 80% of tobacco deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. In other words, the poorest people are affected the most negatively. Due to addiction, money that can be spent on education, food or health care goes to tobacco. Over the years, it has reduced productivity and increased the cost of healthcare. This is not a pretty picture for any income, and it is a definite way to keep the underprivileged impoverished.
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It warns us about the dangers of secondhand smoke
Secondhand smoke causes more than 600,000 deaths a year. Unfortunately, about 28% of the victims are children. But considering that almost 50% of children breathe smoky air in public places, we are happy that the rate is not higher. Many cities and states already have public smoking bans, but it will take more work to get everyone on board. This is one time when you can jump on the bandwagon without losing any good points — we promise.
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It demonstrates how the tobacco industry damages the environment
Growing tobacco requires a lot of pesticides and fertilizers. Some of these toxic elements can seep into water supplies, but the damage does not stop there. The manufacturing process creates more than 2 million tons of waste and consumes 4.3 million hectares of land. It is estimated that it contributes between 2% and 4% of the world’s deforestation. If you like to breathe air (we are pretty big fans of it), it’s worth saving as much of our forests as possible. A few less tobacco farms can help.
World No Tobacco Day Dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | May 31 | Monday |
| 2022 | May 31 | Tuesday |
| 2023 | May 31 | Wednesday |
| 2024 | May 31 | Friday |
| 2025 | May 31 | Saturday |
100 million – the estimated number of people who died from smoking during the 20th century.
16 million – the number of adults in the USA living with a disease attributed to smoking.
8 million – the number of people who died in 2017 from smoking.
15% – the percentage of worldwide deaths attributed to smoking.
70 – the age at which more than half of the deaths due to smoking occur.
1-in-5 – the number of adults in the world who smoke tobacco.
80% – the percentage of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users living in low- and middle-income countries.
7 million – the number of deaths among the 1.3 billion tobacco users that occurred as a result of direct smoking.
1.2 million – the number of deaths among the 1.3 billion tobacco users that occurred due to second-hand smoke.
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