2017-05-31 Wed

Every year roughly 6 million people die across the globe due to the ill-effects of Tobacco. 600,000 deaths among these are non-smokers who died because of exposure to passive smoke. Do they deserve it? NO. This is why World Health Organization (WHO) declared 31st May as World No Tobacco Day since 1988.

It is one of the eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This day is intended to encourage a 24 hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe. Efforts were being made since 1987, and in the past 29 years, this day has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance from governments, tobacco industry, growers, smokers and public health organizations.

Efforts were taken by WHO to expand this day further and they have established the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) and World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). FCTC was adopted in 2003 by countries across the globe as an agreement to implement policies that work towards tobacco cessation. These initiatives attempt to focus international resources and attention on the global health issue of tobacco while also providing assistance for creating global public health policies.

In 2017, WNTD is focusing on tobacco as "a threat to development." The campaign aims to demonstrate the threats that the tobacco industry poses to sustainable development, including the health and economic well-being of citizens in all countries.

WHO feels that the tobacco industry must replace older quitting or dying smokers with younger consumers. Thus they market their products at places that generally attract the youth such as the movies, billboards, etc. However, studies have shown that the more the youth are exposed to these advertisements, the more likely they are to smoke.

Countries across the globe have issued various stamps and coins on this event. This 250 Tunisian Milim commemorative stamp was issued by Tunisia on 31st May 2005 to take this day a step further while also creating awareness.