World No Tobacco Day is observed annually on May 31 to raise awareness about the unhealthy and destructive effects of using tobacco. In addition, the event serves as an opportunity to help educate people about the dangers of using tobacco and how its usage can be regulated.

Tobacco use impacts all communities and impedes Sustainable Development Goals. Tobacco consumption directly harms the users and also indirectly impacts the health of the people in close proximity to smokers.

History

In 1987, the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) passed a resolution calling for observing April 7 as ‘World No-smoking Day. In 1988, another resolution was passed by the WHO to observe May 31 as ‘World No Tobacco Day" every year.

The theme of the event was "Tobacco or Health: Choose Health."

The second World Tobacco Day was observed on May 31, 1989, with the theme “Women and Tobacco — The Female Smoker: At Added Risk”. Since then, the day has been observed every year on May 31.

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Significance

With millions of people consuming tobacco worldwide, the day marks an effort to raise awareness of the harm caused by tobacco products to people, public health, communities, and the environment. It highlights tobacco companies' business practices and interference with policy decisions that undermine effective tobacco control and capture generations of consumers.

Theme

“We need food, not tobacco” is the theme for the global campaign for 2023.

It promotes sustainable and nutritious crops for tobacco farmers. The campaign also aims to expose the tobacco industry's efforts to interfere with attempts to substitute tobacco with sustainable crops, contributing to global food shortages.

Some key facts

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 8 million deaths worldwide are due to tobacco use.

More than seven million deaths are directly related to tobacco use, while 1.2 million are secondary deaths caused by second-hand smoke.

Each year, around 3.5 million hectares of land are converted for tobacco farming around the world. Tobacco farming also contributes to the deforestation of 2,00,000 hectares.

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Tobacco growing is resource-intensive and requires high pesticide and fertiliser inputs.

Tobacco depletes soil fertility, making it less suitable for growing other crops.

As tobacco farmlands are more prone to desertification, tobacco farming has a far greater impact on ecosystems than maize farming or livestock grazing.

Tips to quit smoking

Don't let smoking control your environment: Get rid of all the cigarettes in your home, car, and at work before you quit. It is essential to get rid of things you use while smoking, like lighters, matches, and ashtrays. Anything that smells of tobacco should be discarded.

Distract from smoking: Try out some ways to distract yourself before quitting. Save a list of tips or activities you can use whenever you get an urge to smoke.

Use safe cigarette substitutes: Substances like cinnamon sticks, toothpicks, or straws can be helpful when it is challenging to leave a situation, like driving, waiting for a bus, or at a restaurant. You can just imitate smoking without actually using tobacco.

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First Published:May 31, 2023 6:49 AM IST